THE    CHALLENGE    OF 
SAINT    LOUIS 


BY 

GEORGE  B.  MANGOLD 

DIRECTOR,   MISSOURI  SCHOOL  OF  SOCIAL  ECONOMY 


NEW  YORK 

MISSIONARY  EDUCATION   MOVEMENT 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA 

1917 


COPYRIGHT.  1917.  BY 

MISSIONARY  EDUCATION  MOVEMENT 
OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I    THE  RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  OF  THE 

CHURCH i 

II    THE  PEOPLE 33 

III  INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS 63 

IV  EDUCATION 93 

V    THE  FAMILY 121 

VI     POVERTY  AND  DISEASE 149 

VII    VICE  AND  CRIME 181 

VIII    LEISURE  AND  RECREATION      ....  213 

IX    GOVERNMENT 241 

X    ACCEPTING  THE  CHALLENGE  ....  267 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

A  Scene  on  a  Playground  .        .        .    Frontispiece 
Chart  No.  i,  Distribution  of  the  Population  of  St. 

Louis  by  Denominations 5 

A  Rear  House  on  Eighth  Street       ....  42 

A  Back  Yard  on  Twelfth  Street       ....  58 

A  Cheap  Dormitory  for  Single  Men       ...  74 

Servian  Children  Who  Attend  the  Public  Library  90 

The  Typical  Home  of  the  Neglected  Child     .        .  106 
Chart  No.  2,  Distribution  of  Tuberculosis  in  St. 

Louis 122 

A  Yard  Hydrant  and  Drain 138 

A  Typical  Lodging-house  Office       .       .        .       .154 

A  Visiting  Nurse  at  Work 170 

At  the  Fresh  Air  Camp 186 

Chart  No.   3,  Distribution  of  Saloons  and  Pool- 
rooms by  Wards 202 

Find  the  Leader  of  the   Gang  and   the   Library 

Champion        ........  218 

Chart  No.  4,  Organization  of  the  Local  Government : 

Municipal .  250 

Educational  and  County  .       .       .       .       .       .251 


THE  RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  OF 
THE  CHURCH 

"  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them." 

/.    The  Opportunity  of  the  Church 

One  of  the  most  serious  crises  of  all  Christian  his- 
tory faces  us  to-day.  Men  have  begun  to  measure 
the  advance  of  Christian  civilization  by  such  objec- 
tive and  beneficent  results  as  greater  democracy,  good- 
will among  men,  better  living  conditions,  happy 
homes,  the  reduction  or  elimination  of  misery,  pov- 
erty, vice,  crime,  intemperance,  class  hatred,  and 
divorce,  the  development  of  character,  and  the  pro- 
motion of  unselfishness  and  love.  Is  not  the  essence 
of  Christian  faith  found  in  Christian  living,  ex- 
pressed in  results  such  as  these  ?  Otherwise  why  did 
Jesus,  in  portraying  the  judgment  day,  emphasize  the 
importance  of  feeding  the  hungry,  giving  drink  to  the 
thirsty,  clothing  the  naked,  visiting  the  sick,  exhibit- 
ing hospitality  to  the  stranger  and  kindness  to  the 
prison  inmate? 

Never  before  in  the  history  of  the  world  has  op- 
portunity knocked  so  loudly  at  the  doors  of  the  Chris- 
tian churches.  Our  population  is  greater,  our  wants 
are  more  diversified,  and  our  temptations  more  far- 
reaching,  yet  the  direct  influence  of  religion  is  gain- 
ing but  little  ground.  There  are  most  unhappy  con- 
trasts in  the  fulness  of  our  moral,  intellectual,  and 


2  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

economic  life,  and  there  is  a  very  serious  maldistribu- 
tion of  spiritual  vigor,  as  succeeding  chapters  will 
clearly  show.  To-day  the  churches  must  face  their 
problems  in  the  light  of  the  new  vision  of  Christianity. 
Principles  have  not  changed;  they  are  as  old  as  the 
day  when  Jesus  taught  on  the  shores  of  Galilee,  but 
the  moral  and  spiritual  regeneration  of  mankind  re- 
quires that  we  vitalize  the  life  and  teachings  of 
Christ  so  as  to  make  them  a  power  for  our  social  sal- 
vation. We  must  teach  the  first  commandment, 
"  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart, 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and  with 
all  thy  strength."  Men  must  have  the  love  of  Christ 
and  the  faith  that  makes  them  whole.  To  get  right 
with  God  is  a  duty  of  the  ages  that  can  never  pass 
away. 

But  we  must  also  teach  the  second,  "  Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,"  and  obedience  to  the 
second  is  a  witness  of  the  love  demanded  in  the  first. 

Let  us  not  forget  that  in  saving  men  God  does  not 
take  upon  himself  all  responsibility  for  their  future 
actions  and  forcibly  prevent  them  from  falling  into 
sin.  He  expects  them  to  carry  part,  at  least,  of  the 
burden  themselves.  "  Stand  fast  in  the  faith,  quit 
you  like  men,  be  strong,"  enforces  the  apostle  Paul. 
Nevertheless,  man  is  weak  and  suffers  from  the  temp- 
tations about  him  so  that  he  may  lose  his  spiritual 
power  and  life.  He  is  not  independent  of  the  condi- 
tions that  surround  him,  and  he  grows  in  grace  and 
love  as  the  new  spirit  within  him  reacts  favorably 
upon  the  environment,  physical,  mental,  and  moral, 
about  him  from  day  to  day.  To  reach  these  influ- 
ences should  be  the  aim  of  every  church.  In  other 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  3 

words,  no  church  completes  its  task  with  any  man 
until  it  supplements  faith  with  opportunity,  and  the 
love  of  Christ  with  a  chance  to  live  under  conditions 
that  make  right  living  possible;  that  is,  until  it  sup- 
plements evangelism  or  personal  appeal  with  service. 
God  changes  man,  but  man  changes  the  environment. 
God  has  left  much  for  us  to  do.  It  is  not  common 
sense  to  place  the  church  on  a  pedestal  and  to  worship 
it  instead  of  using  it  as  a  divinely  ordained  institution 
to  make  the  world  a  better  and  happier  place  in  which 
to  live.  Its  mission  to  uplift  and  to  regenerate  re- 
mains the  same,  but  its  tasks  are  as  various  as  the  dif- 
ferent impulses  and  influences  that  play  upon  the  soul 
of  man. 

The  first  task  of  the  earnest  Christian  worker  should 
be  to  take  stock  of  the  forces  for  righteousness  in  his 
community.  He  should  know  of  the  churches,  their 
aims,  and  their  work.  Then  he  should  learn  the  mag- 
nitude of  the  task  that  awaits  him.  In  view  of  these 
needs,  this  book  proposes,  first,  to  set  forth  the  moral 
and  spiritual  assets  of  the  community.  Second,  to 
deal  in  subsequent  chapters  with  the  life  and  conditions 
of  the  people  and  the  evils  that  must  be  overcome.  The 
triumph  of  Christianity  is  more  than  the  triumph  of 
a  creed ;  it  involves  the  overcoming  of  evil  with  good. 

II.    Religious  Organisation  of  St.  Louis 

i.    Communicants  and  Adherents 

Let  us  then  consider  how  St.  Louis  is  organized 
from  the  religious  standpoint  to  cope  with  the  problem 
of  evil.  In  1906,  according  to  the  federal  Bureau  of 
the  Census,  31  per  cent,  of  the  population  of  the  city 


4  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

were  Roman  Catholic  adherents,  14  per  cent,  were 
members  of  various  Protestant  denominations  and  2 
per  cent,  belonged  to  other  churches.  More  than  one- 
half  of  the  population  were  not  directly  connected  with 
any  church.  Officially,  then,  the  forces  of  the  church 
represented  a  minority  of  the  people.  However,  if 
small  children  are  excluded,  a  majority  of  our  people 
were  identified  with  various  churches. 

The  estimates  of  ten  years  ago  have  been  supple- 
mented by  computations  made  by  the  Church  Federa- 
tion of  St.  Louis.  According  to  its  figures,  the  Prot- 
estant and  evangelical  church-membership,  by  com- 
munions and  the  number  of  churches  respectively,  is 
as  follows: 

Number  of  Number  of 

Communions  churches  members 

Adventist    4  250 

Baptist    64  14,205 

Congregational     15  3,425 

Disciples  of  Christ  12  4,550 

Lutheran    29  15,654 

Evangelical    30  16,780 

Methodist    55  21,956 

Presbyterian    42  1 1,890 

Episcopal    24  5,911 

Unclassified  Protestant  Churches.  9  1,000 

Total  (White  218,  Colored  66) .      284  95,621 

The  method  of  many  Protestant  and  evangelical 
churches  in  counting  as  church-members  only  those 
persons  who  definitely  unite  themselves  in  some  for- 
mal manner  makes  the  church-membership  much  less 
than  the  body  of  adherents.  Probably  the  proportions 
are  about  one  to  three.  If  so,  the  actual  number  of 
adherents  would  total  286,863.  Considering  the  gen- 
eral church  affiliation  of  the  people  of  St.  Louis,  the 
Church  Federation  made  the  following  estimate : 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES 


Per  cent,  of    Number     Adher- 
Number     population  of  churches  ents 

2,684 


Roman  Catholics 255,000  33.0           95 

Protestants  and  evangelical.  286,863  37.2          284 

East   European   churches..  1,445  .2             3 

Christian  Scientists 5,ooo  .6              5 

Latter  Day  Saints  1,000  .15            6 

Miscellaneous   ^      800  .1             3 

Total    550,108  71.25        396 

Jewish     population      (esti- 
mated)       60,000  7.85 

610,108  79.1 

Number  non-adherents....  161,892  20.9 
Total  population  of  city 

(1916)    772,000  100.0 


1,010 

482 

1,000 

116 
266 


Protestant  Adherents  37.2^ 


Norf  Adherents  20.9%, 


jr 


Roman  Catholic 
Adherents  33% 


Chart  I.    Distribution  of  the  Population  of  St.  Louis  by 
Denominations 


6  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

These  figures  show  that  about  one  third  of  the  pop- 
ulation of  this  city  is  Roman  Catholic.  It  appears  also 
that  about  three  eighths  of  the  total  are  Protestant 
adherents.  The  Jewish  population,  estimated  at  one 
out  of  every  fourteen,  consists  of  a  large  number  who 
do  not  in  practise  affiliate  with  any  religion.  Although 
there  are  about  a  dozen  large  synagogs,  there  are  many 
congregations  that  meet  in  private  houses  and  modest 
rooms,  and  therefore  the  number  of  so-called  churches 
cannot  be  definitely  ascertained.  More  than  one  fifth 
of  the  people  of  this  city  are  without  religious  connec- 
tions of  any  kind  and  practically  nothing  is  known  of 
their  respective  beliefs. 

But  the  number  who  profess  religion  or  Christianity 
is  no  criterion  of  the  character  of  a  city.  Not  every 
person  who  is  counted,  whether  Catholic  or  Protestant, 
is  a  genuine  member  of  Christ's  invisible  church.  In 
fact,  the  nominal  Christians,  whether  church-members 
or  no,  comprise  a  large  proportion  of  the  groups  that 
have  been  discussed.  Otherwise  why  has  sin  and  wick- 
edness not  been  wiped  out,  and  why  does  the  church 
face  such  a  tremendous  problem  as  it  does  to-day? 
Why  do  we  suffer  from  such  miserable  conditions  of 
poverty,  pauperism,  crime,  and  delinquency?  Why 
are  divorces,  desertions,  and  unfaithful  marriages  so 
common  ?  Why  must  evils,  such  as  child  labor,  indus- 
trial accidents,  unemployment,  and  the  like,  curse  our 
city  and  its  people?  Were  all  so-called  Christians  true 
Christians,  then  these  evils  would  be  wiped  out  of  ex- 
istence. The  real  assets  of  our  religious  forces  are 
the  genuinely  good  people  of  the  community.  The 
first  line  of  potential  assets  are  the  half-way  Chris- 
tians that  affiliate  with  the  churches.  The  unchurched 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  7 

constitute  a  problem,  but  often  not  more  serious  than 
that  of  the  nominal  Christians. 

2.  Communicants  per  Church 

St.  Louis  is  well  provided  with  churches,  and  these 
must  be  considered  an  important  part  of  the  equip- 
ment with  which  to  fight  evil  and  its  manifestations. 
The  machinery  and  weapons  are  a  very  necessary  fac- 
tor. The  Roman  Catholics  have  relatively  the  smallest 
number.  They  have  divided  the  city  into  parishes  and 
located  their  churches  in  well  selected  places.  Catho- 
lics residing  in  a  parish  are  expected  to  attend  the 
church  in  that  community,  and  if  they  move,  their 
membership  is  also  transferred.  With  nearly  2,700 
adherents  per  church,  it  is  clear  that  a  considerable 
equipment  is  necessary.  There  are  about  1,000  per- 
sons for  every  Protestant  church,  but  the  actual  mem- 
bership per  church  is  less  than  350. 

3.  Lack  of  Unity 

Protestantism  has  covered  the  city  in  a  most  ridicu- 
lous hit-and-miss  fashion.  Until  recently  the  various 
denominations  have  hardly  considered  each  other  in 
the  establishment  of  new  churches,  and  accordingly 
many  crowd  into  the  same  block  or  within  a  short  dis- 
tance of  each  other.  Each  denomination  has  sought 
to  strengthen  itself  and  none  has  had  an  effective  vision 
of  the  larger  Protestantism  that  unifies  all  Protestant 
work  in  its  essential  religious  aspects.  Nearly  every 
denomination,  therefore,  has  its  struggling  churches, 
and  the  question  may  well  be  asked  whether  or  not 
they  are  a  drag  on  the  denomination  and  prevent  it 
from  doing  the  larger  tasks  that  face  the  city.  Not 


8  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

until  the  Church  Federation  promoted  the  idea  and 
made  practical  suggestions  has  any  effort  been  made 
to  prevent  unnecessary  overlapping.  The  great  bulk 
of  the  Protestant  churches  are  too  small  to  do  much 
effective  community  work  separately;  consequently 
much  of  this  service  must  be  carried  on  through  gen- 
eral denominational  organizations  or  by  the  Church 
Federation,  and  federations  of  individual  church 
groups,  such  as  local  brotherhoods,  ladies'  aid,  and 
missionary  societies.  Collectively,  Protestantism 
should  be  a  power,  and  through  its  churches,  members, 
and  adherents  it  can  profoundly  affect  our  moral  con- 
ditions, but  to-day  it  is  deficient  in  strength  and  solidar- 
ity. In  union  there  is  strength,  and  in  common  pur- 
pose there  is  power. 

Furthermore,  the  resemblances  between  Protestant- 
ism and  Catholicism  are  greater  than  their  differences. 
Why  should  not  both  groups  exhibit  sufficient  breadth 
of  view  to  discover  the  things  they  hold  in  common, 
and  to  this  extent,  at  least,  unite  for  the  promotion  of 
the  common  good  and  for  the  development  of  ideals 
and  character?  What  an  array  of  men  and  women  if 
all  the  church-members  or  adherents  in  this  city  should 
stand  shoulder  to  shoulder  for  righteousness ! 

4.    Minor  Church  Organizations 

Next  in  importance  to  church  affiliation  is  the  or- 
ganization of  men  and  women  into  minor  groups  or 
societies  subordinate  to  the  church.  Here  may  be 
banded  together  persons  striving  for  some  particular 
purpose  or  ideal — for  example,  the  women  that  con- 
duct a  missionary  society — or  the  churches  may  foster 
certain  societies  without  definitely  limiting  or  special- 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  9 

izing  their  functions,  such  as  young  people's  societies 
and  men's  brotherhoods.  A  vast  amount  of  spiritual 
energy  can  be  developed  or  wasted  according  to  the 
methods  and  leadership  of  these  organizations.  The 
spiritual  leakage  is  most  abnormal,  however,  and  great 
savings  can  be  effected. 

The  Catholic  laymen  are  banded  together  in  various 
organizations  with  excellent  effect.  More  than  1,000 
men  work  faithfully  in  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  So- 
ciety. The  Federated  Catholic  Societies  have  been 
instrumental  in  repressing  various  forms  of  vice,  espe- 
cially vicious  post  cards  and  pictures,  salacious  litera- 
ture, unwholesome  picture  films,  etc.  Although  their 
work  has  been  largely  limited  to  this  field  of  endeavor, 
their  power  must  be  felt  as  they  gradually  widen  the 
scope  of  their  operations.  Many  of  the  women  are 
members  of  the  Queen's  Daughters  and  carry  on  va- 
rious benevolent  enterprises.  In  fact,  the  genius  of 
the  Catholic  Church  in  making  its  members  serve  is 
partly  shown  in  the  vast  system  of  charity  operated 
under  the  direction  of  Catholic  laymen  and  conducted 
as  Catholic  charities.  The  self-denial  represented  in 
contributions  for  worthy  purposes  and  in  the  volume 
of  service  given,  challenges  the  Christian  service  car- 
ried on  by  Protestants  and  demands  a  more  serious 
self-consecration  on  their  part. 

The  Protestant  churches  each  have  their  special  or- 
ganizations, the  young  men  and  women  being  organ- 
ized in  Christian  Endeavor  Societies,  Epworth 
Leagues,  Baptist  Young  People's  Unions,  Evangelical 
Leagues,  and  other  groups.  Ordinarily  they  meet  every 
Sunday  evening  for  forty-five  minutes  before  the  regu- 
lar church  services.  According  to  the  best  estimates 


ip  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

there  are  215  of  these  societies,  138  of  which  are 
senior  or  intermediate,  and  77  junior,  with  a  total 
membership  of  over  9,000  persons.  Their  program 
usually  consists  of  a  topical  discussion  based  on  Scrip- 
ture, and  frequently  does  not  include  a  practical  appli- 
cation of  the  message  either  to  the  individual,  for  the 
improvement  of  his  character,  or  to  the  local  moral 
problems  that  require  collective  action  to  secure  re- 
sults. Nevertheless,  some  young  people's  societies 
have  set  apart  one  or  two  Sundays  per  month  for  the 
discussion  of  these  subjects  that  are  of  such  vital  im- 
portance to  our  moral  welfare.  What  a  gain,  for 
example,  if  the  various  societies  seriously  considered 
the  need  of  controlling  commercial  recreations  and  to- 
gether used  their  influence  directly  to  promote  better 
conditions ! 

Then  we  have  organizations  among  older  persons. 
In  many  churches  there  are  men's  societies  known  as 
brotherhoods,  which  usually  meet  once  a  month  and 
carry  out  some  program  or  enjoy  a  social  evening. 
This  program  presents  a  considerable  variety  of  inter- 
ests and  occasionally  includes  the  discussion  of  prac- 
tical social  service  topics,  but  the  work  done  has  not 
been  sufficiently  systematic  to  result  in  definite  action 
along  the  lines  suggested  by  the  discussion.  Large 
numbers  of  men  are  enrolled  in  these  organizations, 
and  they  could  be  a  considerable  power  should  they 
act  as  a  unit  in  favor  of  some  moral  reform.  In  a 
similar  way  the  women  are  organized  in  various  capaci- 
ties, such  as  the  missionary  and  the  ladies'  aid  socie- 
ties. Splendid  possibilities  are  in  store  for  each  of 
these  groups  of  organizations  if  they  would  federate 
and  work  toward  some  definite  worthy  objects. 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  11 

5.  Secular  and  Fraternal  Organizations 

The  influence  of  secular  women's  clubs  is  well 
known.  Could  the  same  enthusiasm  be  displayed  in 
wiping  out  some  moral  sore,  surely  the  thousands  of 
women  in  these  church  organizations  would  become  a 
mighty  power. 

One  of  the  most  powerful  forces  in  the  community 
is  the  fraternal  organization.  Founded  on  moral  prin- 
ciples, it  is  also  semi-religious  in  character.  Besides 
the  features  distinctive  and  peculiar  to  each  type  of 
organization,  there  are  general  features,  such  as  sick 
benefits,  benevolent  or  charitable  work,  recreational 
features,  etc. 

The  strongest  organization  in  this  city  is  the  Ma- 
sonic order,  having  a  membership  of  13,500.  The 
Woodmen  of  the  World  comes  next  with  about  8,500. 
Among  the  remaining  orders  are  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Elks,  etc. 

The  Knights  of  Columbus,  with  a  membership  of 
6,000,  is  a  Catholic  order  and  a  very  influential  body. 

6.  Types  of  Protestant  Churches 

Protestant  churches  belong  to  one  of  three  types. 
They  may  be  city-wide  churches,  appealing  to  men  and 
women  from  all  over  the  city  and  not  attempting  par- 
ticularly to  carry  on  intensive  work  in  the  community 
near  by.  Such  churches  content  themselves  largely 
with  the  old  way  of  conducting  church  work.  There 
are  the  usual  church  organizations  with  their  regular 
meetings,  the  Sunday-school,  two  church  services  each 
Sunday,  a  mid-week  prayer  meeting,  and  meetings  of 
auxiliary  societies.  This  type  of  church  no  doubt  has 


12  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

its  place  and  can  accomplish  much  good;  nevertheless, 
a  feeling  is  beginning  to  prevail  that  something  more 
must  be  done  to  make  the  investment  worth  while. 
Does  it  pay,  not  in  cash  or  property,  but  in  souls,  in 
human  lives?  Are  the  work  of  the  preacher  and  the 
languid  efforts  of  organizations  that  pay  no  attention 
to  the  problem  of  Christian  contacts  sufficient  to  meet 
the  needs  ?  Is  it  not  necessary  for  the  churches  to  har- 
ness the  energy  of  their  members  and  direct  it  upon 
the  community  or  a  part  of  it?  This  feeling  has  re- 
sulted in  increasing  the  activities  of  many  churches 
and  compelling  them  to  engage  in  some  form  of  com- 
munity service.  Nevertheless  the  great  majority  of 
churches  in  the  city  belong  to  this  general  group.  They 
fitted  very  well  into  the  individualistic  communities 
of  bygone  days,  but  the  teeming  interrelated  life  of  to- 
day demands  new  methods.  Yet  the  need  of  social 
salvation,  the  salvation  of  our  contacts,  human  and 
otherwise,  is  hardly  recognized,  and  in  some  cases  di- 
rectly ignored.  Nevertheless  the  Master  set  the  ex- 
ample in  building  up  the  body  and  the  environment  of 
jmen  as  part  of  their  better  spiritual  life. 

A  second  type  carries  on  the  traditional  church,  but 
•extends  its  services  so  as  to  promote  the  community 
welfare  and  to  minister  to  the  social  needs  of  its  people. 
In  many  localities  this  represents  a  fairly  satisfactory 
adjustment. 

The  third  type,  the  institutional  or  socialized  church, 
aims  especially  to  minister  to  the  community  need.  It 
may  draw  its  membership  from  all  parts  of  the  city, 
but  its  distinctive  service  is  as  a  neighborhood  church. 
This  church  not  only  preaches  the  love  of  Christ  but 
is  itself  the  good  neighbor.  Love  expresses  itself  in 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  13 

the  desire  to  win  men  and  women  to  the  higher  life, 
but  its  best  expression  is  in  the  form  of  service,  since 
that  alone  convinces  of  the  reality  of  the  religion  that 
is  professed. 

As  an  illustration  of  their  work,  we  classify  below 
some  of  the  services  which  they  perform.    In  no  one 
church,  however,  do  we  find  all  of  these  activities. 
Religious  Service : 

Regular  Sunday  worship. 

Sunday-school. 

Mid-week  prayer  meeting. 

Services  for  various  nationalities  and  groups. 

Colporteurage  and  visiting. 
Educational  Service : 

Kindergarten. 

Circulating  library. 

Classes  for  immigrants. 

Direction  of  students  in  industrial,  cooking,  and 
sewing  classes. 

Penny  savings  bank. 

Civics. 

Open  forum. 

Vacation  Bible  school. 
Recreation : 

Boys'  and  girls'  clubs. 

Boy  Scouts  or  Camp  Fire  Girls. 

Games. 

Gymnasium  activities. 

Swimming  pool. 

Baths. 

Summer  outing. 
Medical  Assistance : 

Clinic  and  dispensary. 


14  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

Milk  distributing  station. 

Headquarters  for  district  nurse,  physician,  etc. 
Philanthropic : 

Day  nursery. 

Employment  bureau. 

Lunch  club. 

Incidental  relief. 

Cooperation  with  social  agencies. 

Here  is  a  formidable  program,  every  phase  of  which 
is  necessary  to  build  up  the  right  kind  of  men  and 
women.  Let  us  not  forget  that  the  soul  dwells  in  the 
body  and  both  live  together  in  an  environment.  Let  us 
not  forget  that  man  has  body,  mind,  and  soul,  closely 
interrelated  and  interdependent.  Man  needs  nothing 
less  than  spiritual  nurture,  supplemented  by  education, 
recreation,  physical  care,  and  opportunity.  No  church 
can  see  any  man  suffering  from  the  lack  of  any  one 
of  these  needs  and  consistently  refuse  to  help.  For 
this  reason  does  the  socialized  church  carry  on  a  pro- 
gram that  touches  man  seven  days  of  the  week.  True 
religion  is  not  a  Sunday  recreation  enjoyed  once  a 
week.  It  is  a  daily  occupation  gifted  with  long  hours 
and  strenuous  labor. 

The  socialized  church  recognizes  that  misery  and 
crime  are  partly  a  result  of  lack  of  opportunity. 
Therefore  it  supplements  the  public  school  activities 
with  industrial  classes  for  boys  and  girls  and  other 
forms  of  training.  These  classes  not  only  afford  prac- 
tical training,  but  they  inevitably  lead  to  improvement 
in  the  morals  of  the  pupils,  thereby  accomplishing  a 
double  gain. 

The  socialized  church  understands  the  bad  influ- 
ence on  boys  and  girls  of  congestion  and  lack  of  op- 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  15 

portunity  for  wholesome  play  and  recreation.  It  rec- 
ognizes recreation  as  a  character-builder  and  proceeds 
to  carry  out  its  theory. 

An  interesting  and  valuable  institutional  feature  of 
church  work,  involving  faith  in  education  and  in  the 
proper  use  of  leisure,  is  the  daily  vacation  Bible  school. 
The  evil  of  child  idleness  during  the  summer  months  is 
a  serious  factor  in  promoting  delinquency  and  bad 
habits.  Accordingly  it  has  become  worth  while  to 
gather  children  from  the  streets  and  afford  them  an 
opportunity  for  recreation  and  for  the  use  of  their 
time  in  such  "helpful  occupations  as  sewing,  cooking, 
toy  making,  saw  work,  and  aeronautics;  and  to  these 
services  have  been  added  instruction  in  the  Bible,  in 
love  of  home  and  country,  order,  respect  for  authority, 
and  the  singing  of  good  hymns  and  songs.  The  effect 
on  the  character  of  the  boys  and  girls  leaves  no  room 
for  doubt.  In  1916  the  Presbyterians  entered  on  their 
fifth  year  of  vacation  school  work,  and  operated  six 
such  schools  in  the  city,  each  in  connection  with  some 
church  or  mission.  Affiliated  with  these  were  eight 
other  schools  representing  the  Congregational,  Evan- 
gelical, and  Methodist  churches,  besides  a  Presbyterian 
school  in  East  St.  Louis.  In  addition  to  these  the  Bap- 
tists, who  established  their  work  in  1912,  conducted 
two  independent  schools  with  an  enrolment  of  498. 
The  attendance  at  these  schools  varied,  the  highest  ex- 
ceeding 300  children.  The  enrolment  for  the  thirteen 
affiliated  schools  in  St.  Louis,  for  which  information 
was  available,  was  3,241,  with  an  average  attendance, 
counting  the  children  who  came  ten  days  or  more,  of 
84  per  cent.  Nearly  one  hundred  young  men  and 
women  were  employed  or  volunteered  to  carry  on  this 


16  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

work  and  make  it  successful.  Their  influence  on  the 
children,  in  addition  to  the  recreation,  games,  hand- 
work, song,  and  instruction,  results  in  a  genuine  form 
of  Christian  social  service.  The  work  represents  a 
part  of  the  great  movement  that  sees  in  the  daily  lives 
of  the  children  the  constructive  or  destructive  forces 
that  respectively  make  or  unmake  character. 

The  socialized  church  believes  that  bodies  must  be 
well  and  fit  to  do  their  daily  work.  Dispensaries,  clin- 
ics, milk  stations,  visiting  nurses,  and  other  forms  of 
medical  service  may  be  found  connected  with  such 
churches,  and  these  go  far  toward  teaching  the  story 
of  the  Christ.  In  heathen  lands  to-day  medical  social 
service  is  one  of  the  most  important  essentials  of  the 
missionary  program.  Eight  of  the  nineteen  milk  sta- 
tions operated  by  the  St.  Louis  Pure  Milk  Commis- 
sion during  the  year  1915-16  were  located  at  institu- 
tional churches  or  Protestant  religious  settlements,  and 
a  similar  fact  is  true  for  six  of  the  eleven  feeding  clin- 
ics maintained;  while  two  stations  were  located  in  Ro- 
man Catholic  institutions.  In  all,  1,055  °f  tne  1.668 
babies  cared  for  were  relieved  at  these  eight  stations. 
Recently  a  number  of  these  downtown  religious  cen- 
ters have  been  selected  as  headquarters  for  the  district 
nurse  work  so  necessary  in  the  congested  sections  of 
our  great  cities. 

The  socialized  church  wants  men  to  enjoy  an  oppor- 
tunity to  earn  their  daily  bread.  Consequently  it  is 
interested  in  their  employment  and  helps  them  if  they 
are  in  poverty.  It  works  toward  the  amelioration  of 
their  lot,  helps  them  to  better  housing,  to  the  wiser 
expenditure  of  money,  and  endeavors  to  increase  their 
earning  power. 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  17 

In  short,  the  socialized  church  tries  to  serve  the 
many-sided  wants  of  man,  believing  that  in  doing  this 
it  will  tend  to  develop  character  and  to  build  better 
and  nobler  lives ;  and  that  is  surely  the  essence  of  Chris- 
tianity. 

Although  a  large  proportion  of  St.  Louis  churches 
have  some  institutional  features,  not  more  than  eight- 
een may  be  properly  classified  as  institutional  or  social- 
ized churches. 

7.    Neglected  Neighborhoods 

In  spite  of  the  284  Protestant  churches  in  the  city, 
one  for  every  1,500  of  the  Protestant  and  non-church- 
going  population,  and  a  sufficient  number  to  establish 
four  in  every  square  mile  of  area,  there  are  large  sec- 
tions of  the  city  without  adequate  church  facilities. 
Examples  of  this  condition  are  indicated  by  the  fol- 
lowing extract  taken  from  a  report  of  the  executive 
secretary  of  the  Church  Federation : 

"  Let  me  mention  three  neighborhoods.  In  the  first 
there  are  five  churches.  One  is  about  to  leave;  three 
of  them  are  so  poor  in  equipment  and  so  inadequately 
maintained  that  year  after  year  they  struggle,  but  never 
make  a  vital  impression.  They  are  badly  located,  so 
that  they  become  rivals  for  part  of  the  section,  while 
a  population  of  20,000  is  untouched."  In  some  parts 
of  the  city  such  a  population  would  have  thirteen 
churches. 

"  The  second  field  will  soon  be  practically  with  but 
one  neighborhood  church.  It  teems  with  the  most 
migratory  population,  largely  English-speaking,  with 
every  form  of  vice  within  its  bounds. 

"  The  third  field  has  just  one  constructive  force — 


i8  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

a  public  school.  It  is  full  of  poverty-stricken,  aimless, 
sinful,  broken  people.  They  have  no  church,  mission, 
organized  Sunday-school,  or  social  center." 

Churches  in  such  localities,  of  course,  will  not  be 
self-supporting  for  many  years  and  perhaps  never  will 
be.  Nor  should  this  be  expected.  Stronger  churches 
must  accept  responsibility  for  some  neglected  district 
and  provide  for  it  the  form  and  amount  of  church 
service  necessary.  Otherwise  we  will  find  that  a  large 
number  of  churches  will  compete  for  service  in  over- 
churched  localities,  while  many  districts  are  almost  en- 
tirely neglected. 

8.    Physical  Equipment 

An  additional  religious  asset  is  the  physical  equip- 
ment of  our  churches.  The  church  plant  is  part  of  the 
machinery  for  the  promotion  of  spiritual  life.  Two 
important  points  are  involved — adequate  facilities  and 
buildings  constructed  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  mem- 
bers and  the  community. 

Many  church  buildings  are  comparatively  small  and 
the  world  would  be  better  served  if  some  of  them  were 
abandoned  and  the  congregations  merged  with  others. 
Even  outside  of  the  negro  churches,  valued  at  approxi- 
mately $15,000  each,  there  are  many  buildings  that 
have  cost  less  than  $20,000.  It  is  probable  that  the 
total  value  of  all  the  Protestant  churches  of  the  city 
is  more  than  $9,000,000.  What  an  opportunity  for 
service  such  an  investment  affords !  In  the  main  the 
buildings  are  not  too  elaborate  in  design  and  do  not 
present  the  appearance  of  money  wasted  in  unneces- 
sary ornamentation.  Church  buildings  cannot  appear 
to  be  the  outcome  of  sensuous  luxury  and  properly  per- 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  19 

form  their  functions.  They  should  be  substantial,  in- 
spiring, and  promote  reverence  for  God  and  love  for 
man. 

The  estimated  value  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
churches,  excluding  the  new  Cathedral,  is  from 
$4,000,000  to  $5,000,000,  an  average  per  church  of 
perhaps  $60,000.  These  churches,  comparatively  few 
in  number,  but  calculated  to  cover  the  city,  are  usually 
of  considerable  size,  with  corresponding  cost.  The 
Young  Men's  and  Young  Women's  Christian  Associa- 
tions have  plants  with  a  combined  value  of  more  than 
$1,100,000.  The  money  capital  invested  in  religious 
enterprises  in  St.  Louis  is  astounding — more  than  $16,- 
000,000,  not  including  the  Jewish  synagogs,  for  which 
no  estimates  could  be  obtained.  Surely  such  an  invest- 
ment demands  returns,  not  in  material  wealth  but  in 
spiritual  capacity.  Nor  can  this  capital  be  allowed  to 
stand  idle  a  large  share  of  the  time  if  dividends  in 
character  are  to  be  expected. 

The  second  item  consists  in  buildings  constructed 
to  meet  the  demands  made  upon  them.  Probably  not 
one  out  of  every  ten  churches  is  equipped  with  a 
gymnasium,  although  the  expenditure  of  a  small  ad- 
ditional sum  would  have  gained  this  result.  Many 
churches  are  in  urgent  need  of  such  equipment. 
Separate  buildings  for  social  activities  are  rare. 
Again,  too  often  the  building  has  been  constructed 
with  special  reference  to  the  central  meeting  place  or 
auditorium,  and  quite  without  regard  for  the  ne"ces- 
sary  provision  to  be  made  for  men's  and  women's, 
young  people's  and  children's  organizations,  for  social 
gatherings,  educational  work,  and  other  forms  of 
service.  As  a  consequence  the  church  has  not  reached 


20  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

out  into  the  community  to  touch  the  many  individuals 
within  potential  range  of  its  influence. 

///.    Cooperation 

The  strength  of  evangelical  Christianity  is  pro- 
foundly affected  by  the  cooperation  and  get-together 
spirit  that  is  manifested.  The  possible  forms  of 
cooperation  are: 

Cooperation  among  ministers, 
Cooperation  among  laymen, 
Cooperation  among  churches. 

1.  The  Ministerial  or  Evangelical  Alliance 
Some  advance  has  been  made  along  each  of  these 

lines  of  federation.  The  Evangelical  Alliance  aims 
to  bring  together  the  ministers  of  all  evangelical 
churches  once  every  month,  so  they  may  know  each 
other,  learn  of  each  other,  and  carry  out  certain  plans 
as  an  alliance  or  association.  At  the  monthly  meet- 
ings addresses  on  various  topics  are  given,  and  ques- 
tions of  religious,  moral,  and  occasionally  of  social 
interest  are  discussed.  Standing  and  special  com- 
mittees deal  with  the  community  problems  that  are 
considered.  The  Alliance  is  also  the  mouthpiece  of 
the  ministers  when  they  wish  to  express  themselves 
publicly  on  some  important  proposition,  such  as  tem- 
perance, the  social  evil,  public  education,  and  the  like. 
At  present  about  400  ministers  are  eligible  to  mem- 
bership. 

2.  Interdenominational  Organizations 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  Young 
Women's  Christian  Association  are  commonly  re- 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  21 

garded  as  interdenominational  organizations  and  are 
supported  by  the  laymen  of  many  churches.  They 
best  express  cooperation  among  the  membership  of 
the  various  churches. 

Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  The  St. 
Louis  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  consists  of 
six  branch  organizations,  the  Central,  North,  Railroad, 
Colored,  Industrial,  and  Washington  University,  each 
under  a  separate  secretary,  and  all  under  the  super- 
vision of  a  general  secretary. 

Among  the  services  of  the  Association  the  follow- 
ing command  particular  attention.  Vocational  work 
is  conducted  and  is  exemplified  by  classes  in  salesman- 
ship and  advertising.  Technical  training  is  also  given 
to  students  capable  of  benefiting  thereby,  the  principal 
lines  covered  being  mechanical  and  architectural  draw- 
ing, chemistry,  and  electricity.  Besides  these  special- 
ties, general  training  is  afforded  in  many  practical 
fields,  particularly  in  stenography,  bookkeeping,  col- 
lege preparatory  work,  business,  and  accountancy. 

The  physical  department  touches  more  individuals, 
perhaps,  than  any  other.  The  work  is  planned  on  the 
scientific  and  wholesome  principle  that  men  need  a 
good  body  in  order  to  lead  useful  and  well-rounded 
lives.  Accordingly  lectures  and  instructions  are  given 
in  sanitation  and  hygiene,  and  practical  opportunities 
for  recreative  activities  are  emphasized,  chief  among 
them  being  the  baths,  swimming  pools,  games  of  va- 
rious kinds,  such  as  basket-ball,  indoor  baseball,  pool, 
billiards,  chess  and  checkers,  and  cross  country  runs. 
The  chief  stress,  however,  is  placed  on  the  indoor 
sports. 

The  Association,  in  its  employment  bureau  work, 


22  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

aims  to  direct  young  men  into  suitable  forms  of  em- 
ployment instead  of  merely  finding  jobs  for  them. 

The  work  among  the  immigrants,  to  be  mentioned 
later,  also  produces  valuable  results,  industrially,  edu- 
cationally, morally,  and  spiritually. 

Much  is  made  of  the  boys'  work,  that  is,  of  the  ef- 
forts connected  with  the  groups  under  eighteen  years 
of  age.  The  aim  here  is  particularly  to  surround  them 
with  wholesome  personal  influences,  in  the  most  ef- 
fective way — through  fine  associations  and  helpful 
contacts.  The  varied  activities  are  similar  to  those 
for  the  young  men,  but  adapted  to  the  needs  of 
the  boys.  Several  Boy  Scout  troops  have  been  organ- 
ized and  many  clubs  and  classes  offer  opportunities 
for  physical,  mental,  and  moral  development.  Ob- 
servation groups  have  been  organized,  and  these  visit 
institutions  and  factories,  and  engage  in  frequent  in- 
spection trips. 

Some  attention  has  been  paid  to  outdoor  camp  quar- 
ters and  increased  effort  to  enlarge  this  work  is  being 
made. 

The  Association  also  emphasizes  the  religious  needs, 
and  approaches  boys  and  young  men  by  systematic 
personal  work  whereby  not  only  the  religious  phases 
of  life  but  other  profound  problems  are  discussed. 
Accordingly  religion  does  not  appear  like  some  super- 
fluous outer  garment,  but  as  a  necessary  part  of  the 
wearing  apparel. 

Young  Women's  Christian  Association.  The 
Young  Women's  Christian  Association  had  a  total 
membership  in  1915  of  4,769.  Its  service  has  been 
most  varied  and  touches  many  phases  of  human  life. 
Its  cafeteria  provides  wholesome  meals  at  reasonable 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  23 

prices.  Its  physical  department  touches  thousands  of 
girls  and  women  through  gymnasium  classes,  the  swim- 
ming pool,  tennis,  riding,  rowing,  hiking,  playground 
work,  pageants,  and  through  extension  work  of  va- 
rious kinds.  The  educational  work  enrolled  nearly 
1,400  persons  in  200  classes  covering  such  subjects  as 
English,  domestic  science,  sewing,  music,  first  aid  to 
the  injured,  etc.  The  Association  has  been  helpful 
to  women  out  of  work.  More  than  8,000  applications 
for  situations  in  miscellaneous  and  house  work  were 
received,  and  51  per  cent,  of  the  women  were  placed 
in  positions.  The  work  of  the  employment  depart- 
ment has  also  covered  many  cases  of  adjustment  of 
difficulties  between  employer  and  employee,  white 
slave  cases,  and  individual  problems  of  dishonesty, 
immorality,  ignorance,  sickness,  destitution,  and  other 
allied  conditions.  In  the  clerical  division  of  the  em- 
ployment department  the  registration  numbers  3,771, 
and  positions  were  secured  for  1,552. 

The  industrial  department  has  touched  hundreds  of 
factory  girls  within  and  without  the  establishments. 
Through  its  evening  programs  it  has  provided  enter- 
tainment, inspiration,  and  also  instruction,  especially 
in  dramatics,  English,  fancy  work,  first  aid  to  injured, 
Bible,  and  gymnasium  work.  Philanthropic  aid  and 
good  cheer  were  dispensed  to  many  families  from 
which  the  girls  or  working  children  were  recruited. 
Factory  welfare  work  was  also  attempted  in  two  fac- 
tories and  excellent  service  rendered  the  girls.  The 
work  with  the  younger  girls  was  carried  on  through 
Hearth  Fire  groups,  clubs,  and  spontaneous  gather- 
ings. Concerts,  entertainments,  and  outings  were  en- 
joyed, also  a  series  of  talks  on  religious,  scientific,  and 


24  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

social  subjects.  Many  of  the  girls  were  visited  in 
their  homes.  There  is  a  branch  for  the  colored  women, 
which  is  gradually  growing  in  importance  and  useful- 
ness. The  Association,  besides  its  dormitory  provi- 
sions for  young  women,  operates  a  special  home  for 
stranded  and  unfortunate  girls  or  young  women  who 
have  come  to  the  city  to  find  employment  and  are 
temporarily  without  living  accommodations.  More 
than  700  girls  were  registered,  of  whom  nearly  one 
fifth  had  neither  money  nor  position.  Many  free 
lodgings  were  given.  The  keystone  to  this  arch  of 
human  service  is,  of  course,  the  religious  work  that  is 
directly  carried  on.  The  vesper  services,  Bible  classes, 
special  services  by  noted  workers,  the  Sunday  after- 
noon meetings,  and  other  phases  of  religious  activity 
all  supplement  and  crystallize  the  remaining  work  that 
is  conducted. 

3.   The  Church  Federation 

The  Church  Federation  of  St.  Louis  exemplifies  the 
effort  at  cooperation  among  the  churches.  It  was  or- 
ganized in  1912  at  a  meeting  where  thirty-five  churches 
were  represented,  but  it  has  grown  until  no  churches 
have  become  members.  At  present  thirteen  denomi- 
nations are  represented :  Baptist,  Congregational,  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ,  Evangelical,  Evangelical  Lutheran, 
Methodist  Episcopal,  Methodist  Episcopal,  South, 
Presbyterian  in  the  U.  S.  A.,  Presbyterian  in  the 
U.  S.,  United  Presbyterian,  Reformed  Presbyterian, 
Protestant  Episcopal,  and  Reformed  Church  in 
the  U.  S. 

The  Federation  is  controlled  by  a  council  made  up 
of  pastors  and  official  delegates  from  the  churches. 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  25 

These  select  an  executive  committee,  which  directs  the 
activities  of  the  executive  secretary,  who  has  charge 
of  the  work. 

The  following  objects  of  the  Federation  indicate 
not  only  the  perspective  of  the  founders  but  the  im- 
portant needs  that  must  be  met : 

1.  To  express  the  essential  unity  of  the  churches. 

2.  To  avoid  duplication  and  destructive  competi- 

tion. 

3.  To   know  the  task  in   St.   Louis  by  adequate 

study. 

4.  To  broaden  the  vision  of  church  workers. 

5.  To  establish  Christian  ideals  in  the  social,  in- 

dustrial, and  political  life  of  St.  Louis. 

6.  To  provide  Christian  work  for  neglected  fields. 

7.  To  render  service  to  the  community. 

8.  To  evangelize  the  city. 

9.  To  serve  and  evangelize  the  unchurched. 

10.  To  cooperate  in  great  church  and  social  move- 
ments. 

These  objects  are  of  a  varied  character,  but  funda- 
mentally they  involve  cooperation  among  the  churches 
to  bring  about  personal  and  social  regeneration  in  this 
city,  and  the  extension  of  this  work  to  larger  commu- 
nities. 

The  Federation  soon  after  its  establishment  pre- 
pared a  survey  of  the  religious  forces  of  the  city,  set- 
ting forth  the  facts  in  figures,  maps,  and  charts,  and 
made  them  accessible  to  the  churches  so  that  one  of  the 
first  essentials  in  a  forward  program  might  be  ob- 
tained— an  appraisement  of  the  assets  on  hand  with 
which  the  churches  might  carry  on  their  business  or 
program.  A  similar  survey  was  made  of  the  destruc- 


26  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

tive  forces  in  the  community.  At  the  request  of 
churches  studies  were  made  of  particular  local  fields 
to  indicate  the  problems  to  be  met,  in  order  that  a  scien- 
tific and  efficient  program  might  be  instituted.  Sum- 
mer tent-meetings  were  conducted  in  various  parts  of 
the  city,  many  people  were  reached,  and  a  spirit  of 
comity  was  promoted  among  the  churches.  Religious 
meetings  in  shops  and  factories  were  organized;  a 
magazine  was  started ;  a  study  made  of  the  problem 
of  public  morals;  and,  in  conjunction  with  other  or- 
ganizations, the  training-school  for  Sunday-school 
workers  was  also  begun. 

The  next  efforts  included  the  following  additional 
projects:  a  campaign  of  newspaper  advertising  which 
proved  very  effective;  noonday,  downtown,  and  theater 
meetings,  and  community  service  plans  for  the  various 
churches;  education  in  social  service  through  free  lec- 
tures given  by  experts,  and  by  means  of  pamphlets  or 
leaflets  on  different  topics;  promotion  of  sentiment  for 
law  enforcement;  the  gathering  of  information  by 
means  of  surveys  or  investigations;  missionary  propa- 
ganda; and  the  promotion  of  occasional  popular  gath- 
erings to  stimulate  energy  and  interest  in  federated 
effort. 

The  gradual  development  of  the  service  of  the  Fed- 
eration through  its  various  committees  has  resulted 
in  the  establishment  of  several  special  departments  of 
work. 
I.    The  Department  of  Religious  Education 

This  aims  to  raise  the  efficiency  of  Sunday-school 
work  and  of  other  forms  of  religious  education.  It 
maintains  a  training  course  for  Sunday-school  work- 
ers, covering  three  years,  thirty  weeks  per  year. 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  27 

2.    The  Department  of  Comity 

This  aims  to  promote  scientific  methods  in  provid- 
ing districts  with  church  facilities, 
j.    Department  of  Investigation  of  Appeals 

Givers  are  to  be  advised  in  regard  to  worthy  enter- 
prises. Investigations  are  made  on  request,  the  Fed- 
eration cooperating  with  other  agencies  in  this  work. 

4.  The  Department  of  Evangelism 

This  aims  to  secure  provision  for  adequate  Chris- 
tian teaching  and  religious  services  in  St.  Louis.  It 
has  conducted  street  meetings  in  two  places  every 
pleasant  evening  during  the  summer.  Leading  pastors 
have  assisted  in  this  work  and  thousands  have  been 
addressed  and  made  to  feel  the  vital  interest  of  the 
church  in  their  spiritual  welfare.  Furthermore,  about 
300  noonday  meetings  have  been  held  within  a  year 
in  factories  throughout  the  city.  At  these  meetings 
short  addresses  of  fifteen  minutes  each  have  been 
given  to  the  assembled  men.  It  has  striven  also  to 
stimulate  interest  in  neglected  districts,  so  that  various 
churches  might  become  aroused  to  the  need. 

5.  The  Department  of  Social  Service 

This  department  aims  to  interest  individuals  and 
churches  in  actual  Christian  service  to  the  community. 
Among  the  results  accomplished  are  the  following: 
A  representative  of  the  Federation  has  appeared  reg- 
ularly in  the  Juvenile  Court  to  promote  the  interests 
of  Protestant  delinquent  and  neglected  children  by 
securing  private  homes  for  them,  or  by  bringing  them 
in  touch  with  religious  or  philanthropic  agencies,  and 
in  other  ways. 

The  department  has  pushed  the  "  Big  Brother " 
movement  and  finally  incorporated  it  as  part  of  its 


28  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

regular  work.  Big  brothers  are  found  for  boys  need- 
ing them,  and  contacts  between  the  two  varied  classes 
of  individuals  are  maintained. 

The  department  investigates  social  conditions,  pro- 
motes law  enforcement,  advocates  needed  legislation, 
cooperates  with  other  social  agencies,  and  carries  on 
a  campaign  of  education  in  the  churches,  through  lec- 
tures, pamphlets,  etc. 

It  has  assisted  in  obtaining  funds  for  the  relief  of 
the  poor  and  has  cooperated  with  several  agencies  to 
that  effect. 

It  promotes  religious  services  in  the  municipal  insti- 
tutions and  conducts  a  system  of  pastoral  visitation 
to  the  City  Hospital. 

It  cooperates  in  the  work  of  the  Conference  of  Fed- 
erations, where  contact  is  established  with  representa- 
tives of  Catholic  and  Jewish  bodies  and  with  various 
civic  organizations. 

Other  lines  of  work  are  being  followed,  the  aim 
being  to  arouse  the  churches  and  their  members  to  a 
consciousness  of  both  the  personal  and  impersonal  con- 
ditions that  interfere  with  the  best  ideals  of  living,  and 
to  inspire  all  to  improve  these  conditions  to  the  end 
that  a  vital,  joyous,  religious  life  may  be  implanted. 

It  has  just  begun  its  work.  The  problems  before  it 
are  immense,  and  it  hopes  to  extend  its  services  along 
every  line  until  Protestantism  will  become  a  unified 
force  working  through  the  spirit  of  evangelism  and 
that  of  social  service  for  the  promotion  of  righteous- 
ness and  Christian  ideals. 

We  may  hope  for  much  and  will  gain  much  when 
pastors,  church-members,  and  churches  all  work  to- 
gether for  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  29 

IV.    Problems  for  Christianity 

At  present  we  are  facing  a  crisis.  Will  Christianity 
meet  the  test?  Let  us  summarize  our  resources  and 
our  liabilities  so  as  to  see  the  problem  more  clearly, 
for  in  this  contrast  lies  the  challenge  of  the  world  and 
of  St.  Louis  to  Christianity. 

i.    Resources 

We  have  nearly  400  Christian  churches  in  St.  Louis, 
of  which  95  are  Roman  Catholic,  284  evangelical  or 
Protestant,  while  the  remainder  belong  to  various 
minor  sects. 

About  47  per  cent,  of  the  population  are  church  com- 
municants, but  more  than  three  fourths  are  church 
adherents. 

The  Protestant  clergy  number  about  400  and  the 
Roman  Catholic  diocesan  priests  about  175. 

The  property  value  of  these  churches  may  be  esti- 
mated at  about  $15,000,000. 

St.  Louis  has  220  Sunday-schools,  with  about  75,000 
pupils  and  students. 

The  young  people's  societies,  brotherhoods,  and 
women's  organizations  enroll  some  thousands  of  mem- 
bers. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  the 
Young  Women's  Christian  Association  operate  prop- 
erty valued  at  $1,100,000,  and  at  least  fifty  paid  work- 
ers are  connected  with  them. 

In  addition  to  these  Christian  resources  are  the  Jew- 
ish synagogs  and  rabbis  that  minister  to  the  Jewish 
people.  There  are,  of  course,  many  secular  agencies 
working  for  our  social  and  moral  welfare;  for  exam- 


3o  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

pie,  schools,  philanthropies,  improvement  societies,  and 
other  organizations.        .    - 

2.    Liabilities 

St.  Louis  has  21,000  illiterates. 

Less  than  one  half  of  the  children  finish  the  eighth 
grade. 

More  than  10,000  children  are  at  work. 

There  are  no  proper  facilities  for  the  care  of  the 
feeble-minded. 

We  have  a  high  death  rate  from  tuberculosis. 

Six  per  cent,  of  our  dead  are  buried  in  the  potter's 
field. 

Probably  ten  per  cent,  of  our  population  are  in 
poverty. 

One  out  of  every  twenty  persons  is  arrested  an- 
nually. 

We  have  no  adequate  system  for  the  moral  reforma- 
tion of  criminals. 

The  social  evil  is  a  constant  menace. 

St.  Louis  has  one  saloon  for  every  100  men. 

There  are  practically  150  public  dance  halls. 

One  out  of  every  eight  or  nine  boys  is  brought  into 
the  Juvenile  Court. 

At  least  four  per  cent,  of  the  births  are  illegitimate. 

The  cost  of  living  threatens  the  economic  independ- 
ence of  thousands  of  our  citizens. 

There  is  marked  antagonism  between  labor  and 
capital. 

More  than  200,000  persons  never  or  seldom  attend 
church. 

Many  sections  of  the  city  are  without  adequate 
church  facilities. 


RESOURCES  AND  LIABILITIES  31 

There  are  no  church  representatives  at  the  city 
courts. 

Domestic  and  family  maladjustments  are  common, 
as  indicated  by  divorces,  desertions,  separations,  and 
neglected  children. 

Our  municipal  government  lacks  the  standards  nec- 
essary for  efficient  service. 

On  one  side  we  have  the  forces  that  make  for  right- 
eousness. On  the  other  we  have  the  evidence  of  sin, 
wickedness,  misery,  and  vice.  Will  righteousness  pre- 
vail? Will  the  church  meet  the  challenge  and  wipe 
out  evil,  its  causes  and  results,  or  is  it  threatened  with 
moral  and  spiritual  bankruptcy  ?  Will  it  recognize  the 
problems  involved,  the  regeneration  of  the  individual, 
the  Christianizing  of  the  environment,  the  removal  of 
the  temptations  to  sin  and  vice?  In  one  important 
respect — in  the  battle  against  intemperance — the 
churches  have  already  recognized  the  necessity  of  im- 
proving environment  and  contacts.  They  are  not  con- 
tent to  reform  the  drunkard,  but  demand  the  control 
of  the  liquor  traffic.  Nevertheless  the  causes  of  all 
sin  and  vice  must  be  attacked  and  nothing  less  than 
the  complete  program  spells  ultimate  success. 


II. 

THE  PEOPLE 

Jesus,  the  carpenter's  son,  loved  the  people,  was  fond 
of  their  association,  and  was  often  found  with  pub- 
licans and  sinners.  Nor  was  he  degraded  thereby,  but 
they  received  an  inspiration.  So,  too,  must  the  church 
follow  his  example  and  come  in  touch  with  humanity 
in  all  its  forms  and  phases.  The  soul  of  a  city  is  in 
its  people,  and  to  them  we  must  look  for  its  hopes  and 
its  ideals.  The  extent  to  which  they  can  be  inspired 
by  common  sentiment  depends  on  the  intimacy  of  their 
mutual  relations.  To  become  a  power  for  good  the 
churches  must  come  into  close  contact  with  the  people. 

The  old  St.  Louis  spread  along  the  Mississippi  river 
and  stretched  back  upon  the  hills  beyond.  The  early 
settlers  were  almost  exclusively  French.  They  loved 
their  religion,  were  bright  and  vivacious,  and  em- 
bodied a  pioneer  spirit  akin  to  that  of  the  early  trap- 
pers and  traders.  Long  after  the  city  became  Ameri- 
can territory  the  French  still  outnumbered  all  other 
races  and  imparted  to  St.  Louis  their  characteristics, 
customs,  and  ideals.  Furthermore,  they  acquired 
property  which  has  multiplied  in  value  and  has  added 
to  the  prestige  and  power  of  the  families  that  were 
founded  then. 

Sectional  Division  of  City 

The  topography  of  the  site  of  St.  Louis  has  easily 
led  to  the  separation  of  the  city  into  a  North  and  a 

33 


34  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

South  Side,  each  with  interests  of  its  own  and  with  a 
certain  homogeneity  of  purpose  and  action.  In  the 
older  days,  when  the  connection  between  the  various 
parts  of  the  city  was  less  immediate  and  direct,  these 
sections  developed  quite  independently  of  each  other 
and  looked  with  suspicion  on  proposals  for  the  improve- 
ment of  municipal  conditions  coming  from  the  other 
side.  This  feeling  has  not  entirely  subsided,  but  is 
gradually  declining  as  the  ideal  of  a  greater  and  better 
St.  Louis  is  making  headway.  Surely  it  is  important 
to  foster  a  fraternal  feeling  between  these  two  dis- 
tricts. 

There  are  two  other  sections,  the  East  and  the  West 
End.  The  eastern  part  of  the  city,  running  as  far  west 
as  3300  block,  north  nearly  to  Palm  Street,  south  to 
Chouteau  Avenue,  and  stretching  along  the  river  be- 
yond either  of  these  boundaries,  includes  the  great  bulk 
of  the  poorer  quarters  of  the  city.  There  are,  however, 
a  number  of  poor  districts  scattered  about  elsewhere. 
Many  of  the  well-to-do  have  gradually  abandoned 
their  homes  east  of  Grand  Avenue  and  have  moved 
westward  until  the  West  End  has  become  synonymous 
with  the  fashionable  section  of  St.  Louis.  Neverthe- 
less many  wealthy  families  reside  on  the  North  and 
the  South  Sides. 

The  people  have  pushed  over  the  city  limits  and 
some  thousands  of  persons  live  immediately  beyond 
this  boundary  line.  Economically  and  physically  they 
are  part  of  the  larger  city,  but  politically  they  are  sep- 
arated from  St.  Louis. 

The  suburban  population  proper  is  very  small.  The 
great  majority  of  the  people,  therefore,  have  a  direct 
interest  in  the  moral  and  social  problems  which  the  city 


THE  PEOPLE  35 

must  solve  and  have  no  reasonable  excuse  for  evading 
their  duty. 

Fusion  of  North  and  South 

St.  Louis  is  a  melting-pot  of  different  character 
from  most  large  cities.  It  is  a  meeting  place  of  the 
North  and  the  South,  the  gateway  from  the  one  sec- 
tion to  the  other.  The  Americans  who  first  came  to 
the  city  were  largely  former  residents  of  Southern 
states  and  brought  with  them  Southern  customs  and 
ideals.  The  development  of  St.  Louis  cannot  be  un- 
derstood without  recognizing  this  historical  fact. 
Gradually  the  city  became  strongly  Southern  in  senti- 
ment, and  slave  conditions  began  to  prevail.  The  with- 
drawal of  the  entire  group  of  English-speaking  Meth- 
odist churches  from  the  parent  body  in  1845  typifies 
the  state  of  feeling  that  prevailed.  The  immigrants, 
especially  the  Germans,  were  Northern  in  sentiment, 
and  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out  an  intense  sectional 
antagonism  developed.  The  majority  of  citizens  fa- 
vored the  Confederacy,  and  only  after  strenuous  ef- 
forts was  the  city  held  by  the  Federal  forces.  Even 
to-day  a  large  proportion  of  the  inhabitants  are  de- 
scended from  friends  of  the  old  South.  The  nature  of 
the  local  negro  problem  is  greatly  influenced  by  South- 
ern thought  and  tradition,  while  the  attitude  on  other 
questions  is  similarly  affected. 

/.    The  Immigrant 

i.    Early  Immigration 

The  migration  westward  of  Americans  was  soon 
supplemented  by  the  immigration  of  various  European 


36  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

races.  The  French  were  followed  by  the  Irish,  who 
came  to  America  in  large  numbers  after  the  war  of 
1812  and  until  some  years  after  the  dire  famine  of 
1847-48.  Many  found  their  way  to  St.  Louis  and 
eagerly  entered  into  the  growing  economic  and  social 
life  of  this  city.  In  religion,  in  politics,  and  socially 
as  well,  they  have  ever  since  played  an  important  part, 
and  as  factors  in  the  development  of  St.  Louis  they 
cannot  be  ignored. 

Bohemians.  A  small  but  important  group  of  early 
immigrants  were  the  Bohemians,  who  came  soon  after 
the  European  revolutions  of  1848-49.  They  were  val- 
uable industrial  factors,  but  their  chief  contribution 
has  been  the  example  of  their  independent  thinking. 
The  spirit  of  Huss  is  still  strong  among  the  Bohemians 
and  influences  not  only  the  Bohemian  Catholics  and 
those  of  independent  thought,  but  has  profoundly 
touched  other  races  and  groups  as  well. 

Germans.  By  far  the  most  important  immigrant 
group  has  been  the  German.  Although  a  sprinkling 
of  Germans  arrived  in  the  previous  decade,  the  active 
immigration  began  with  the  failure  of  the  revolution 
of  1848.  Then  came  a  large  number  of  freedom- 
loving  Germans,  political  refugees  fleeing  for  their 
lives,  and  others  tired  of  the  oppression  suffered  in 
their  native  land.  It  was  then  that  Carl  Schurz  es- 
caped to  America  and  came  to  St.  Louis.  These  Ger- 
mans were  industrious,  intelligent,  cultured,  filled  with 
a  love  of  freedom,  and  easily  Americanized.  Their 
bitter  past  rapidly  transformed  them  into  loyal  Ameri- 
can citizens,  and  it  was  most  natural,  therefore,  that 
they  should  stand  by  the  American  Union  in  the  hour 
of  its  greatest  trial.  The  German  immigration  has  con- 


THE  PEOPLE  37 

tinned  until  recently,  and  even  to-day  this  group  is 
larger  than  any  immigrant  race  residing  in  the  city. 
Accordingly  St.  Louis  has  achieved  the  reputation  of 
being  a  German-American  city.  Many  of  its  churches 
carry  on  services  in  the  German  language  and  on  the 
South  Side  it  is  still  widely  spoken.  German  thought, 
culture,  and  customs  have  profoundly  affected  the  life 
of  the  city  and  continue  to  mold  its  ideals.  German 
industry  has  manifested  its  vitality  in  our  varied  in- 
dustrial and  commercial  enterprises  and  has  inculcated 
habits  of  thrift  and  saving.  German  tradition  has 
clung  to  the  brewery  and  the  beer-garden  and  struggles 
for  less  personal  restraint,  whether  on  week-days  or  on 
Sunday.  It  has  also  handicapped  women  in  their 
struggle  for  the  ballot  and  for  greater  social  and  eco- 
nomic freedom.  The  German  has  contributed  to  our 
measurable  genius  for  music  and  for  art  and  adds  to 
the  impetus  for  recreation  and  amusement.  He  is  a 
political  factor  of  far-reaching  importance  and  ex- 
hibits a  racial  solidarity  which,  while  it  is  not  neces- 
sarily a  menace,  must  eventually,  in  the  progress  of 
Americanization,  be  lost.  Nevertheless  the  German 
vote  and  point  of  view  cannot  be  overlooked  by  the 
political  parties  in  their  plans  and  programs.  To  do 
so  would  spell  disaster. 

2.    Recent  Immigration 

The  serious  aspects  of  the  immigrant  problem 
grow  out  of  the  relative  importance  assumed  by  the 
character  of  the  recent  immigration.  No  longer  do 
we  receive  in  large  numbers  foreigners  who  in  lan- 
guage, culture,  and  tradition  are  akin  to  the  American, 
easily  assimilated  and  finally  amalgamated.  To-day 


38  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

the  bulk  of  our  immigrants  come  from  central,  south- 
ern, and  eastern  Europe,  where  the  languages  spoken 
are  alien  to  our  own,  economic  life  is  comparatively 
undeveloped,  education  largely  neglected,  political 
freedom  a  dream,  and  participation  in  government  an 
unrealized  hope.  At  once  it  is  evident  that  immi- 
grants of  this  class  will  tax  the  resources  of  our 
churches,  social  agencies,  and  governmental  bodies,  if 
they  are  to  become  identified  with  the  mass  of  Ameri- 
can citizens  and  share  their  common  ideals  and  pur- 
poses. 

Jews.  The  immigration  since  1890  consists  largely 
of  three  groups  of  Europeans.  Of  these  the  most  nu- 
merous is  the  Jew.  The  older  Jewish  immigration 
was  chiefly  composed  of  German  Jews,  who,  like  the 
Germans,  have  been  merged  into  the  American  pop- 
ulation, and  furnish  a  large  proportion  of  the  leaders 
in  manufacturing  and  mercantile  enterprises,  banking, 
and  the  professions,  such  as  medicine  and  law.  The 
Jews  now  coming  to  St.  Louis  are  principally  from 
Russia,  Roumania,  and  Galicia.  They  have  had  little 
contact  with  Teutonic  civilization  and  came  from  coun- 
tries where  oppression  and  despotism  prevail.  They 
are  not  skilled  in  government,  not  versed  in  politics, 
are  orthodox,  and  very  poor.  A  large  proportion  are 
illiterate,  but  high  ideals  of  home  and  family  life  pre- 
vail. Although  it  is  estimated  that  St.  Louis  contains 
60,000  Jews,  probably  not  more  than  35,000  belong  to 
the  non-German  group. 

Italians.  Another  type  of  immigrant  is  the  Italian. 
As  he  can  speak  neither  English  nor  German,  it  is 
difficult  for  him  to  come  into  touch  with  American 
ideals  and  customs.  Again,  the  Italians  lack  solidarity 


THE  PEOPLE  39 

because  of  the  different  race  strains  among  them  and 
of  their  provincialism  at  home.  The  north  Italian  is 
closely  allied  physically  to  the  French  and  the  inhab- 
itants of  central  Europe,  while  the  south  Italians  and 
Sicilians  are  decided  physical  contrasts,  being  long- 
headed, very  short,  and  extremely  brunette.  They  are 
industrious,  thrifty,  and  artistic,  but  their  foreign  cus- 
toms, illiteracy,  emotionalism,  and  scant  assimilability 
challenge  the  best  blood  in  this  republic  to  complete 
their  Americanism  and  inspire  their  lives  with  Chris- 
tian ideals.  Nominally  most  of  them  are  Roman  Cath- 
olics, but  in  practise  a  large  proportion  are  not  con- 
nected with  any  church.  At  the  beginning  of  the  Eu- 
ropean War  there  were  probably  about  10,000  Italian 
immigrants  in  St.  Louis,  besides  the  American-born 
children,  who  also  number  thousands.  The  great  ma- 
jority of  these  are  south  Italians. 

Slavs.  The  third  group  consists  of  Slavs  and  re- 
lated races,  excluding  the  Bohemians.  They  speak 
languages  very  different  from  ours  and  acquire  the 
English  tongue  with  difficulty;  they  have  had  little  or 
no  political  training;  industrially  they  are  backward 
because  of  undeveloped  economic  conditions  of  their 
native  lands;  mentally  they  suffer  from  interference 
with  free  thought,  while  socially  they  lack  competent 
native  leaders.  Furthermore,  they  are  not  a  homo- 
geneous group,  for,  while  their  dialects  are  similar, 
they  cannot  readily  understand  each  other;  but  they 
are  sturdy,  thrifty,  and  capable  of  heavy  work.  They 
come  from  Russia,  Austria-Hungary,  and  the  Balkan 
states.  Unfortunately,  the  Bureau  of  Immigration 
does  not  give  us  figures  stating  the  number  of  Slavic 
immigrants  from  these  various  countries.  Neverthe- 


40  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

less,  there  are  many  thousands.  In  1910  there  were 
nearly  20,000  natives  of  Austria-Hungary,  most  of 
whom  were  undoubtedly  Slavs.  There  were  also  a 
large  number  of  Poles,  Roumanians,  Greeks,  and 
Macedonians.  The  Slavs  from  Russia  and  the  Balkan 
states  usually  belong  to  the  Greek  Orthodox  church, 
while  the  Poles  and  various  groups  from  Austria- 
Hungary  are  predominantly  Roman  Catholic. 

Distribution  of  Population  by  Nationality.  The 
following  table,  showing  the  composition  of  the  popu- 
lation of  St.  Louis  in  1900  and  1910,  gives  a  picture 
of  local  conditions  and  serves  as  a  starting-point  for 
our  work : 

1900  1910  1910 

Race  and  Nativity  Per  cent.      Per  cent.          Number 

Native  white,  native  parents..  32.9  39.3  269,836 

Native  white,  foreign  parents.  41.6  35.9  246,946 

Foreign  born   19.3  18.3  125,706 

Negro    6.2  6.4  43,960 

We  see  from  the  foregoing  table  that  the  percentage 
of  foreign-born  is  declining;  that  in  1910  nearly  two 
out  of  five  persons  were  of  native  parentage  and  less 
than  one  out  of  five  of  foreign  birth.  But  the  actual 
number  of  foreign-born  is  steadily  increasing,  and 
these  plus  those  of  foreign  parentage  comprise  the 
bulk  of  our  population.  Many  are  not  in  the  least 
assimilated;  and  thus  when  our  problem  is  expressed 
in  figures  we  realize  that  we  are  facing  a  tremendous 
situation.  The  immigrant  groups  contain  23,000  per- 
sons from  Canada  and  the  British  Isles  who  are  pre- 
sumably conversant  with  the  English  language;  the 
remainder,  or  over  100,000,  belong  to  non-English- 
speaking  groups.  Since  knowledge  of  our  language 
is  an  important  requisite  of  assimilation,  the  need  of 
a  constructive  policy  becomes  most  evident. 


THE  PEOPLE  41 

The  needs  of  the  immigrant — social,  moral,  educa- 
tional, and  economic — are  so  urgent  and  compelling 
that  the  churches  could  well  afford  to  assist  in  solving 
the  problem.  In  fact,  if  the  love  of  Christ  is  to  be 
transmuted  into  real  religion,  what  better  opportu- 
nity for  doing  good  than  by  working  with  the  immi- 
grant ? 

3.    Conditions  Among  Immigrants 

In  order  to  learn  the  nature  of  the  tasks  we  face,  our 
Christian  people  must  first  consider  some  of  the  con- 
ditions under  which  the  immigrant  lives  and  some  of 
the  problems  that  he  brings. 

Illiteracy.  Many  immigrants  are  illiterate,  that  is, 
they  cannot  read  or  write  in  their  own  language, 
much  less  in  ours.  Their  only  way  of  communicating 
with  the  world  is  through  the  spoken  word.  How  can 
they  expect  to  become  assimilated,  to  absorb  the  essen- 
tials of  American  civilization,  when  the  greatest 
molding  force  is  the  printed  page?  The  census  of 
1910  shows  that  of  the  foreign  population  over  15 
years  of  age,  11.4  per  cent.,  or  about  14,000,  were 
illiterate — only  one  per  cent,  less  than  the  illiteracy 
among  the  colored  people.  Furthermore,  this  propor- 
tion is  growing,  having  risen  from  9.1  per  cent,  in 
1890.  Besides  these,  there  are  thousands  who,  al- 
though they  pass  as  literate,  have  not  sufficient  educa- 
tion to  enable  them  to  make  use  of  it  to  advantage. 
There  are  also  about  23,000  who  are  literate  but  not 
familiar  with  the  English  language.  The  great  dan- 
ger to-day  lies  in  the  heavy  percentage  of  illiteracy 
among  the  immigrant  groups  that  have  recently  ar- 
rived. For  example,  in  1914  the  percentages  among 


42  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

immigrants  14  years  of  age  and  over  were  as  follows 
for  certain  groups:  South  Italians,  47.4;  Ruthenians, 
35.9;  Russians,  34.8;  Poles,  31.3;  Greeks,  20.3;  He- 
brews, 20.  Although  these  figures  are  representative  of 
the  entire  United  States,  there  is  no  reason  why  the 
illiteracy  among  the  immigrants  coming  to  St.  Louis 
should  differ  much  from  the  average  for  the  entire 
number. 

Excess  of  Males.  A  serious  condition  arises 
from  the  disproportions  between  the  sexes.  A  large 
majority  of  the  immigrants  are  males,  with  propor- 
tions about  as  follows:  South  and  North  Italians, 
three  fourths;  Greeks,  eight  ninths;  Poles,  three  fifths; 
Russians,  Bulgarians,  and  Servians,  nine  tenths. 
When  such  disproportions  exist,  wholesome  family 
life  becomes  almost  impossible.  Many  immigrants 
enjoy  no  opportunity  whatsoever  for  female  compan- 
ionship, while  chances  for  marriage  there  are  none. 
Must  we  not  expect  perverted  leisure  and  recreation 
and  immorality  in  most  serious  forms? 

Again,  the  bulk  of  our  immigrants  live  in  localized 
districts,  separate  from  the  American  population. 
This  is  due  to  various  causes,  among  which  are  the 
desire  of  the  immigrant  to  live  among  like-minded 
individuals,  the  reluctance  of  native  Americans  to 
mingle  with  the  foreigner,  and  the  low  economic  status 
of  the  immigrant.  Accordingly  we  find  the  Italians 
living  principally  in  two  sections  of  St.  Louis,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Eighth  Street  and  Cass  Avenue,  and 
on  "  Dago  Hill,"  in  the  southwestern  part.  The  bulk 
of  the  Jews  live  west  of  Tenth  Street  as  far  as  the 
3000  block.  To  the  northeast  of  this  section  lies  the 
Polish  district.  A  short  distance  south  of  Market 


THE  PEOPLE  43 

Street,  near  Broadway,  is  a  large  colony  of  Greeks, 
and  farther  south  from  Chouteau  Avenue  for  twenty 
blocks  or  more  we  find  Slavic  groups  of  various  kinds. 
Nestling  quietly  in  other  sections  of  St.  Louis  are 
smaller  groups  of  immigrants.  Usually  they  are  lo- 
cated near  some  important  manufacturing  plants  and 
are  the  outgrowth  of  small  colonies  planted  here  and 
there.  Among  these  groups  are  colonies  of  Rou- 
manians, Bulgarians,  Croatians,  and  other  Slavic 
peoples. 

Bad  Housing.  Bad  housing  conditions  are  par- 
ticularly prevalent  in  the  immigrant  sections.  In  the 
first  place,  the  single  men  and  the  married  who  have 
left  their  families  abroad  tend  to  herd  together  in  a 
manner  that  necessarily  precipitates  bad  social  and 
moral  consequences.  Hundreds  of  immigrant  men 
live  in  cheap  lodging-houses  or  in  overcrowded,  stuffy 
rooming-houses.  An  investigation  made  of  some  of 
these  resulted  in  the  discovery  that  over  4,000  roomers 
lived  in  408  houses;  that  each  room  averaged  more 
than  three  persons,  while  in  some  houses  particular 
rooms  were  occupied  by  two  shifts  of  men,  one  using 
them  during  the  night,  the  other,  engaged  in  night 
work,  using  them  during  the  day.  The  filth  here  is 
indescribable;  the  rooms  are  quite  unventilated,  while 
the  food  that  is  frequently  found  lying  about  on  win- 
dows, cupboards,  and  boxes  lacks  every  protection 
necessary  to  insure  health.  Where  many  rooms  each 
hold  as  many  as  a  dozen  immigrant  men  the  general 
effect  cannot  be  good.  Moral  and  physical  deteriora- 
tion will  follow.  An  illustration  of  the  economic  dan- 
gers may  be  cited  in  the  arrangement  of  seven  Greeks 
who  together  occupied  one  room,  each  sleeping  on  a 


44  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

separate  cot,  and  paying  one  dollar  per  month  for 
rent.  These  men,  whose  housing  quarters  cost  them 
twelve  dollars  per  year,  are  industrial  competitors 
of  men  with  families,  who,  if  they  desire  decent  ac- 
commodations, will  be  obliged  to  pay  as  much  in  a 
single  month.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  wages  are  fre- 
quently only  sufficient  to  maintain  single  individuals 
and  that  a  family  will  not  have  adequate  income  unless 
the  mother  and  perhaps  some  of  the  children  are  added 
to  the  wage-earning  classes  ? 

In  the  second  place  tenement  conditions  are  very 
depressing  among  the  immigrant  families.  There  is 
serious  overcrowding,  especially  as  measured  by  the 
number  of  persons  per  sleeping-room.  This  is  par- 
ticularly true  among  the  Jews,  Italians,  and  Poles. 
Although  the  Jews  keep  few  boarders,  the  other  two 
groups  keep  many  roomers  and  often  turn  over  a  large 
part  of  their  miserable  apartments  to  lodgers  of  the 
same  race,  thereby  driving  the  family  into  the  kitchen 
and  sitting-room,  where  they  live,  eat,  and  sleep,  and 
are  huddled  together  without  the  privacy  that  makes 
for  morals.  Excessive  thrift,  economic  pressure,  and 
low  ideals  are  largely  responsible  for  this  condition, 
and  increased  prosperity  enables  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  families  to  move  to  better  quarters.  Although 
the  immigrant  is  the  chief  victim  of  bad  housing,  many 
American  families  live  in  the  congested  sections. 

The  living  and  housing  conditions  of  the  immigrant 
greatly  affect  his  opportunities  for  recreation.  The 
single  men  must  find  an  outlet  somewhere  or  in  some 
way.  Parties  of  Greeks  and  others  may  carry  on  a 
dance  without  the  presence  of  a  single  woman.  Immi- 
grant men  frequently  drift  into  immorality  by  the 


THE  PEOPLE  45 

squad,  while  gambling  and  kindred  evils  abound.  Con- 
gestion in  the  home  forces  the  children  into  the  streets, 
where  a  large  proportion  of  the  time  is  spent,  and 
certain  groups,  especially  the  Italians,  tend  to  camp  in 
the  alleys.  Unless  wholesome  recreation  with  oppor- 
tunities for  self-improvement  are  offered,  great  moral 
dangers  face  a  large  proportion  of  persons  living  in 
this  way.  Should  not  a  vitalized  Christianity  recog- 
nize the  moral  needs  of  these  groups  and  attempt  to 
serve  them  better? 

4.    Betterment  Work 

Schools.  The  public  schools  perform  an  important 
service  in  the  Americanization  of  our  foreign  ele- 
ments. Their  service,  however,  is  largely  confined  to 
the  education  and  training  of  the  children  of  immi- 
grants instead  of  the  foreign-born  themselves.  Less 
than  6,000  of  the  total  number  of  immigrants  are  be- 
tween 6  and  14  years  of  age.  Since  the  great  ma- 
jority are  beyond  the  age  of  compulsory  school  at- 
tendance, the  public  school  can  and  does  operate  night 
schools  which  they  as  well  as  others  may  attend.  During 
the  year  1914-1915  classes  in  English  for  immigrants 
were  held  in  fourteen  different  schools.  Nearly  4,50x5 
immigrant  men  enrolled,  but  the  majority  gradually 
dropped  out  and  thus  lost  the  value  of  the  training  af- 
forded them.  It  should  be  clearly  understood  that 
unless  special  effort  is  made  to  meet  the  precise  needs 
and  to  adapt  plans  and  work  to  the  peculiarities  of 
the  immigrant  a  continued  attendance  cannot  be  ex- 
pected. With  so  large  an  amount  of  illiteracy  or  of 
meager  educational  attainment  among  our  foreign- 
born  population,  special  efforts  to  attract  them  to  the 


46  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

night  schools  should  be  made.  If  funds  are  lacking, 
money  should  be  provided.  If  the  adaptation  is  not 
satisfactory,  it  should  be  made  so.  If  qualified  teach- 
ers are  not  at  hand,  they  should  be  sought  for  and 
found,  and  above  all  a  sympathetic  attitude  toward  the 
immigrant  should  be  assumed. 

A  considerable  number  of  parochial  schools  are  lo- 
cated in  immigrant  sections,  and  these  accordingly 
attract  many  children  of  foreign  parentage.  Their 
work  is  similar  to  that  of  the  public  schools,  except 
that  religion  is  a  part  of  the  curriculum,  and  that  in 
some  of  the  schools  German  is  taught  as  well  as  Eng- 
lish. The  parochial  schools  offer  no  evening  classes 
and  therefore  reach  very  few  among  the  large  immi- 
grant population. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation has  also  interested  itself  in  the  education  of  the 
immigrants.  Classes  were  started  in  1913,  and  in  the 
winter  1915-16  forty-six  classes  were  conducted,  with 
an  enrolment  of  i, 080  persons, a  small  number  of  whom 
were  women.  English  and  citizenship  were  taught, 
both  very  necessary  if  the  immigrant  is  to  be  prop- 
erly assimilated  and  Americanized.  The  demand  from 
the  naturalization  office  that  educational  facilities  be 
extended  has  been  specially  insistent  because  a  large 
number  of  applicants  for  citizenship  must,  at  present, 
be  rejected.  Volunteers  are  needed  to  assist  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  in  this  work, 
which  must  be  made  so  elastic  in  its  method  and  or- 
ganization that  the  great  bulk  of  the  foreigners  will 
be  reached. 

Educational  work  of  a  varied  character  is  conducted 
by  the  Jewish  Educational  and  Charitable  Union. 


THE  PEOPLE  47 

While  classes  in  English  have  been  abandoned,  in- 
struction in  other  needed  branches  is  being  given. 

Public  Library.  The  Public  Library  likewise  has 
served  to  add  to  the  educational  advantages  of  the 
foreigner.  The  Crunden  and  Soulard  branches  have 
been  of  special  service,  and  thousands  of  books,  a 
large  proportion  of  serious  nature,  have  circulated 
among  Jews,  Poles,  Hungarians,  Bohemians,  and 
others.  Books  in  fifty-four  languages  belong  to 
the  library  collections,  indicating  the  demand  by 
immigrants  for  reading  matter.  Furthermore,  the 
use  of  the  club  and  lecture  rooms  of  the  various 
libraries  by  organized  clubs  or  by  individuals  inter- 
ested in  some  radical  propaganda  has  gone  far  to  make 
cautious  many  men  who  otherwise  might  become  dan- 
gerous citizens.  In  fact,  the  library  has  quietly  served 
to  foster  an  appreciation  of  America  and  American  op- 
portunity. 

The  social  and  physical  needs  of  the  immigrant  are 
so  grave  that  they  cannot  receive  too  much  attention. 
Jesus  recognized  the  relation  between  spiritual  and 
physical  on  many  an  occasion ;  should  not  we  in  the 
twentieth  century,  when  this  relationship  is  self-evi- 
dent, strive  to  minister  to  the  many-sided  wants  of 
man  and  thereby  accelerate  his  spiritual  growth  ? 

Mullanphy  Fund.  Among  secular  agencies,  apart 
from  societies  organized  by  descendants  of  a  given 
race  for  the  benefit  of  that  race,  the  one  capable  of  best 
service  to  the  immigrant  is  the  Mullanphy  Fund,  orig- 
inally designated  to  furnish  "  relief  to  all  poor  immi- 
grants and  travelers  coming  to  St.  Louis  on  their  way, 
bona  fide,  to  settle  in  the  West."  Recently,  however, 
few  persons  have  been  aided,  since  most  of  the  immi- 


48  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

grants  coming  to  St.  Louis  remain  here.  In  1915  the 
Mullanphy  Board  established  a  travelers'  aid  depart- 
ment in  Union  Station,  and  somewhat  expanded  its 
functions  by  adding  several  social  workers  to  its  corps 
of  officials.  The  property  includes  many  dwellings 
and  the  Board  hopes  to  improve  the  standards  of  the 
tenants.  Educational  work  among  other  immigrant 
groups  is  also  being  planned.  Because  the  needs  for 
the  original  purpose  are  quite  negligible,  while  those 
of  the  immigrants  within  our  gates  are  beyond  meas- 
ure, attempts  are  being  made  to  secure  a  court  decree 
whereby  the  income  of  the  property,  valued  at  nearly 
$1,000,000,  may  be  used  for  a  purpose  allied  to  that 
specified  by  Bryan  Mullanphy.  Such  service  would 
release  the  churches  from  this  task  and  enable  them 
to  deal  more  effectually  at  once  with  the  spiritual 
needs  of  the  immigrant. 

Church  Activities.  Our  home  mission  field  needs 
intensive  cultivation.  Among  the  Roman  Catholic 
churches  there  are  fourteen  that  serve  communities 
composed  largely  of  foreigners  of  non-Teutonic  stock, 
and  the  parochial  schools  in  these  districts  reach  large 
numbers  of  children.  Unfortunately  the  church  work 
is  not  sufficiently  related  to  the  task  of  Americaniza- 
tion to  develop  many  of  the  important  social  needs. 
The  efforts,  however,  are  systematic  and  the  work  is 
well  organized.  Much  superior  in  its  results  from 
the  broader  point  of  view  is  the  work  of  the  two  re- 
cently established  Catholic  social  settlements,  where 
social  wants  are  being  met  and  the  forces  of  assimila- 
tion put  to  work. 

Among  the  Protestants  the  Presbyterians  are  the 
only  group  with  a  well  defined  plan  of  work.  This 


THE  PEOPLE  49 

plan  involves  the  establishment  of  centers  at  suitable 
points  throughout  the  eastern  part  of  the  city,  which 
engage  in  community  service  and  carry  on  extension 
work  among  foreigners.  Four  of  these  churches,  set- 
tlements, and  missions  reach  into  immigrant  dis- 
tricts and  minister  widely  to  their  inhabitants.  The 
Congregationalists  have  a  Bohemian  church  and  also 
carry  on  some  visitation  work  among  the  Armenians. 
A  Methodist  and  a  Disciples  of  Christ  church  have 
each  regularly  conducted  a  Chinese  Sunday-school,  but 
in  one  case  the  teachers  have  come  from  several  de- 
nominations. The  work  of  the  Baptists  has  been  lim- 
ited to  a  struggling  mission  among  the  Italians  and 
to  some  slight  service  among  the  Hungarians  as  branch 
work  of  one  of  the  regular  churches.  The  remaining 
denominations  do  not  attempt  to  serve  immigrants 
directly,  but  some,  through  their  institutional  church 
activities,  do  touch  many  immigrants.  There  are  Ger- 
man and  Swedish  churches,  but  they  are  self-support- 
ing and  not  to  be  considered  as  part  of  the  service  ren- 
dered to  our  recent  immigration. 

The  churches  so  far  have  signally  failed  to  appre- 
ciate the  pressing  problem  of  our  recent  immigrants 
and  their  children  and,  beyond  a  little  individual  work, 
only  a  few  churches  and  missions  are  striving  to  inter- 
pret these  people,  to  make  them  a  part  of  us,  and  to 
build  up  their  lives,  their  contacts,  and  associations  so 
as  to  inspirit  them  with  Christian  ideals  and  purposes. 

The  foreigners  need  friends,  they  need  sympathy, 
they  need  justice  in  the  courts;  they  are  in  want  of 
knowledge  and  ignorant  of  our  laws  and  customs ; 
they  do  not  understand  hygiene;  therefore  their  chil- 
dren die  and  men  in  the  prime  of  life  contract  tubercu- 


SO  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

losis;  they  need  recreational  facilities  and  industrial 
opportunities;  they  should  be  taught  the  duties  of 
parent  to  child  and  father  to  mother;  they  need  better 
housing  and  clean  streets  and  more  attention  by  the 
city.  If  they  lack  in  moral  and  spiritual  qualities,  the 
blame  is  in  large  part  on  us.  In  the  great  work  that 
must  be  done  shall  not  the  church  and  the  Christian 
do  their  part? 

IL   Native  American  Groups 

Although  the  immigrant  suffers  from  certain  dis- 
advantages which  are  peculiar  in  his  character,  there 
are  many  native  Americans  who  offer  a  most  serious 
problem.  This  is  due  to  a  variety  of  conditions. 

I.    Persons  from  Outside  the  City 

In  the  first  place  there  is  the  normal  individual  born 
elsewhere.  About  one  third  of  our  native  American 
population  was  born  outside  of  the  state  of  Missouri 
and  at  least  one  half  outside  of  the  city.  All  of  these 
were  once  strangers  in  St.  Louis  and  were  forced  to 
develop  new  friendships  and  relationships.  It  is  a 
serious  thing  for  the  outsider  to  migrate  to  a  large 
city  and  establish  himself  under  wholesome  moral  con- 
ditions. Single  men  and  women  live  in  rooming- 
houses  scattered  over  the  city,  but  located  principally 
in  decadent  communities  where  church  facilities  are 
poor  and  opportunities  for  profitable  companionship 
are  few.  The  large  rooming-house  section  east  of 
Grand  Avenue  is  neglected  by  the  churches,  yet  it  is 
composed  largely  of  native  Americans  of  Protestant 
antecedents.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  few  persons  from 
this  locality  are  found  in  any  church,  that  wild,  rough, 


THE  PEOPLE  51 

and  reckless  young  Americans  abound,  that  many  of 
the  women  accept  the  vice  that  constantly  offers  itself 
before  them,  and  that  moral  degeneration  occurs? 
The  churches  need  to  know  where  these  people  come 
from  so  as  to  understand  their  previous  environment, 
to  send  visitors  to  their  rooming-places  to  guide  them 
to  respectable  quarters,  to  help  them  find  good  com- 
panions, to  direct  them  in  the  choice  of  their  recrea- 
tional activities,  to  supplement  their  social  life,  to  in- 
terest them  in  the  church,  and  in  other  ways  to  provide 
them  with  a  constructive  environment  so  as  to  give 
them  the  impulses  that  will  ripen  into  a  useful  and 
religious  life. 

2.  Poor  Whites 

Among  these  outsiders  are  several  groups  needing 
separate  attention.  St.  Louis  has  been  receiving  a 
considerable  number  of  incomers  from  the  mountains 
and  hills  of  the  Southern  states.  Many  of  these  peo- 
ple have  little  or  no  education;  some  of  them  have 
lived  careless,  shiftless  lives  and  have  migrated  to  St. 
Louis  with  no  clear  notion  of  the  problems  facing 
them.  Many  of  the  native  charity  cases  are  so-called 
"  poor  whites,"  that  is,  persons  belonging  to  this  group 
of  people.  So  little  morality  has  been  taught  many  of 
them  that  shocking  conditions  exist  in  their  families; 
sex  irregularity  of  the  most  shameless  variety,  unmar- 
ried mothers,  bigamous  relations,  juvenile  delinquency, 
truancy,  drunkenness,  and  utter  improvidence. 

3.  Rural  Group 

Another  element  is  the  rural  group.  Although  a 
large  number  of  the  outsiders  have  come  from  other 


52  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

cities,  a  considerable  proportion  are  farmers'  sons  and 
daughters.  To  them  not  only  is  the  city  strange,  but 
city  life  itself  is  a  novel  and  thrilling  experience.  Many 
of  these  young  people  dream  of  possibilities  that  are 
not  realized,  but  struggle  hopelessly  on  in  a  situation 
utterly  different  from  what  they  had  expected.  The 
educated  class,  of  course,  become  leaders  and  attain 
positions  of  responsibility,  but  the  great  majority  fail 
to  reach  their  goal.  The  unfriendliness  of  the  city,  the 
pitfalls,  the  glamour  and  glare,  the  new  modes  of  liv- 
ing, and  the  readjusted  budget  of  expenditures  all 
make  it  difficult  for  the  country  boy  and  girl  to  be- 
come assimilated  and  at  the  same  time  retain  their 
high  ideals.  Many  of  them  are  clearly  unsophisti- 
cated, are  easily  duped  and  demoralized  by  the  blase 
life  of  the  city.  To  reach  and  to  help  this  promising 
and  ambitious  group  is  a  most  worthy  object  and  its 
accomplishment  will  impose  a  duty  on  our  religious 
agencies  that  cannot  be  avoided.  The  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  and  the  Young  Women's  Chris- 
tian Association  are  doing  a  little  for  this  class,  but  the 
surface  of  the  problem  has  barely  been  scratched.  The 
strenuous  efforts  of  many  organizations  are  needed  to 
complete  the  task. 

It  must  not  be  assumed  that  because  special  atten- 
tion is  given  in  these  pages  to  the  immigrant,  the  na- 
tive American  from  without  the  city,  and  the  negro, 
that  the  native  St.  Louisan  offers  no  problem.  In  this 
respect,  however,  we  have  no  special  conditions  to 
face,  but  all  of  these  groups  can  be  studied  together 
in  regard  to  the  questions  that  relate  to  the  moral  and 
social  welfare  of  the  city  as  discussed  in  the  following 
chapters. 


THE  PEOPLE  53 

///.    The  Negroes 

The  Christian  can  hardly  contemplate  the  vast  mis- 
sionary enterprises  that  the  Protestant  churches  have 
undertaken  among  the  negroes  in  Africa  without  won- 
dering how  far  we  are  performing  our  Christian  duty 
to  this  race  in  America  and  in  St.  Louis.  Without 
question  no  other  special  group  in  this  city  offers  such 
serious  practical  difficulties  and  problems  as  does  the 
negro.  And  it  is  not  his  fault,  but  is  due  largely  to 
a  milk-and-water  Christianity  that  forgets  that  God 
is  no  respecter  of  persons,  but  remembers  the  physical, 
social,  and  mental  differences  that  separate  the  white 
race  from  the  black. 

i.    Number 

In  1910  the  negroes  in  St.  Louis  numbered 
6.4  per  cent,  of  the  entire  population,  and  if  this 
proportion  holds  in  1916,  as  is  very  probable,  then 
the  total  number  of  negroes  is  approximately  48,000, 
or  an  increase  of  over  4,000  since  1910.  They  have 
been  slowly  gaining  in  relative  numbers,  a  fact  which 
drives  home  the  pressing  need  of  applying  sound 
Christian  common  sense  to  the  solution  of  the  prob- 
lem. The  growing  numbers  are  due  in  part  to  the 
constant  stream  of  negroes  coming  from  the  South. 
A  large  proportion  of  these  come  from  the  rural  dis- 
tricts and  are  unacquainted  with  many  ugly  details 
that  are  faced  in  city  life.  The  heavy  death-rate 
among  the  negroes,  twenty-six  per  one  thousand  of 
population,  compared  with  fourteen  among  the  whites, 
and  the  comparatively  low  birth-rate  prevent  a  rapid 
increase  in  the  number  of  natives  of  St.  Louis.  This 


54  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

excessive  death-rate  depends  especially  on  the  preva- 
lence of  such  diseases  as  tuberculosis,  pneumonia,  can- 
cer, heart  disease,  diseases  of  the  digestive  system 
(particularly  among  children),  and  diseases  of  early 
infancy.  The  investigations  of  these  unhappy  facts 
indicate  that  a  large  share  of  their  excessive  mortality 
is  due  to  ignorance,  poverty,  and  immorality,  and  that 
race  vigor  or  physical  inferiority  has  relatively  little 
to  do  with  the  differences  between  the  white  and 
colored. 

A  large  majority  of  the  young  negroes  coming  from 
the  South  are  single  men  who  are  looking  for  oppor- 
tunities to  work  in  a  city.  There  are  children  in  the 
negro  families,  but  the  number  under  five  years  of 
age  forms  only  6.1  per  cent,  of  the  total.  Similar  pro- 
portions among  our  native  whites  are  represented  by 
10.9  per  cent.  In  other  words,  there  are  comparatively 
few  negro  children.  This  is  due  to  the  heavy  child 
mortality  even  more  than  to  the  meager  birth-rate. 
Christian  love  must  reach  the  parents  and  teach  them 
successful  methods  of  child  care. 

2.   Location 

As  is  customary  and  perhaps  natural  with  special 
groups,  the  negroes  are  living  in  a  number  of  rather 
definitely  localized  residential  districts.  These  dis- 
tricts are  five  in  number.  Three  of  them  are  popu- 
lated largely  by  the  ignorant  and  poorest  class  of  ne- 
groes, to  whom  have  been  surrendered  the  most  un- 
sanitary quarters,  the  most  dilapidated  houses,  and 
the  most  morally  hazardous  sections  of  the  city.  Here 
there  is  excessive  overcrowding,  the  bad  features  of 
our  slums  are  aggravated,  sanitary  conveniences  are 


THE  PEOPLE  55 

sparse,  rents  are  high,  and  the  city  is  relatively  neglect- 
ful of  its  duties.  The  remaining  two  districts  are  in 
better  sections  and  have  grown  into  negro  quarters 
through  the  tendency  of  white  families  to  move  from 
a  locality  in  which  a  number  of  negro  homes  have 
been  established.  Gradually  the  whites  have  relin- 
quished entire  blocks  in  these  localities  to  the  incoming 
negroes.  In  these  districts  a  large  proportion  of  the 
dwelling-houses  are  private  homes  or  two-  or  four- 
family  flats,  and  these  serve  very  well  that  growing 
class  of  intelligent  negroes  anxious  to  found  homes 
under  favorable  auspices  and  in  good  environment. 
The  people  of  St.  Louis  in  February,  1916,  voted  by 
a  three  to  one  decision  in  favor  of  the  segregation  of 
negroes  from  the  whites,  the  ordinance  providing  that 
no  residents,  whether  white  or  black,  are  to  be  mo- 
lested in  their  present  living  quarters,  but  when  they 
move  no  families  may  enter  any  block  in  which 
seventy-five  per  cent,  or  more  of  the  residents  belong  to 
the  opposite  race.  The  constitutionality  of  this  ordi- 
nance is  now  being  tested  in  the  United  States  courts. 

3.    Occupations 

According  to  the  best  estimates,  about  seventy-nine 
per  cent,  of  the  negro  males  ten  years  of  age  and  over 
are  engaged  in  gainful  occupations.  This  is  a  slightly 
lower  percentage  than  that  among  the  whites  and  is 
due  partly  to  the  inability  of  negro  boys  between  four- 
teen and  sixteen  to  get  positions  and  to  the  relatively 
large  number  of  old  men  who  must  be  supported  by 
friends  or  relatives.  Because  of  these  conditions  an 
unusually  large  number  of  negro  women  are  forced 
to  work  for  wages,  the  figures  showing  that  in  1910 


56  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

forty-five  per  cent.,  or  nearly  ten  thousand,  of  all 
the  females  over  ten  were  engaged  in  breadwinning. 
This  rate  is  twice  as  high  as  that  among  the  whites. 
Were  it  not  for  the  efforts  of  the  women  to  supple- 
ment the  family  income  a  much  larger  proportion  of 
the  negro  population  would  drift  below  the  poverty 
line. 

The  careful  study  of  the  negro  made  by  Crossland 
shows  that  the  17,348  negro  males  employed  in  1910 
were  distributed  practically  as  shown  in  the  following 
table:1 


Group 
Males  at  work.  . 

Number 
17  148 

Per  cent, 
of  total 

IOO  0 

Daily 
Wages 

Q-l 

O  5 

$4  06 

Business   

304 

IJ 

275 

Clerical   

2Q7 

i  7 

3  21 

ej4 

•»  o 

2  74 

Personal  service   

6,400 
•i  C24 

374 
20  3 

1.81 

2  2O 

Common  labor  

5  050 

29.1 

2.31 

Bovs'   work   . 

1.076 

6.2 

.80 

It  will  be  seen  at  once  that  the  professional  class 
comprises  a  mere  handful,  and  of  these  the  teachers 
and  ministers  form  more  than  one  half  of  the  total 
number.  There  are  also  a  score  of  physicians,  several 
dentists,  and  a  number  of  lawyers.  Outside  of  the 
opportunity  in  church  and  school  the  professions  at 
present  offer  little  encouragement  to  ambitious  ne- 
groes. Several  hundred  negroes  operate  business  en- 
terprises of  various  kinds,  these  enterprises  in  the 
order  of  their  numerical  importance  ranking  as  fol- 
lows: Ice  and  coal  dealer,  barber,  pool  room,  restau- 
rant, pressing  and  cleaning,  saloon,  draying,  grocery 

1  Missouri  School  of  Social  Economy.  "  Industrial  Conditions 
of  the  Negro  in  St.  Louis." 


THE  PEOPLE  57 

store,  etc.  Almost  without  exception  the  capital  in- 
vested is  small  and  the  profits  are  not  excessive.  In 
fact,  the  larger  share  of  the  negro  trade  is  with  the 
whites  and  not  with  the  negro  merchants,  thus  limit- 
ing seriously  the  scope  of  the  negro  business  man.  It 
is  significant  that  the  income  of  the  professional  man 
is  higher  than  that  of  the  business  man,  a  situation 
quite  the  reverse  of  the  relative  incomes  among  the 
whites. 

Quite  a  number  of  negroes  are  employed  by  the 
federal  and  city  governments,  but  they  are  practically 
shut  out  from  clerical  positions  in  the  commercial 
world.  Clerks,  bookkeepers,  and  stenographers  find 
no  occupation  with  white  employers  except  in  those 
occasional  instances  where  race  identity  is  not  sus- 
pected, the  outstanding  physical  characteristics  of  the 
negro  having  been  lost.  The  negro  has  entered  the 
skilled  trades,  but  with  wavering  success.  There  are 
a  considerable  number  of  chauffeurs,  some  mechanics, 
and  scattered  members  of  the  building  trades,  but  the 
lines  of  race  antagonism  are  drawn  so  tight  that  this 
field  of  economic  endeavor  offers  little  to  the  negro 
at  the  present  time.  In  Southern  cities  the  trades  are 
usually  open  to  the  negro,  because  white  men  have 
shunned  the  manual  activities.  Accordingly  the  negro 
and  the  mule  have  been  permitted  to  do  the  work. 
Not  so  in  St.  Louis ;  for  example,  a  young  man  learned 
the  machinist  trade  in  the  South  and  became  a  loco- 
motive engineer;  later  he  came  North,  but  here  his 
trade  was  closed  against  him.  He  was  permitted  to 
become  a  fireman  if  he  wished.  He  followed  several 
occupations  and  finally  found  it  necessary  to  become 
a  barber. 


58  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

Negroes  are  used  as  porters,  janitors,  waiters,  in  of- 
fices, banks,  hotels,  saloons,  and  stores,  and  cooks  in 
the  Pullman  service,  and  in  other  forms  of  personal 
service.  Here  are  retained  to  some  extent  the  personal 
relations  that  once  existed  between  the  negro  and  his 
master  or  employer.  The  heavy  work  in  our  factories 
offers  another  field.  The  brick  and  tile  factories,  iron 
and  steel  mills,  the  disagreeable  tasks  in  our  lead 
works,  hod-carrying  and  the  hard  labor  connected  with 
the  erection  of  buildings — these  and  similar  occupa- 
tions absorb  a  large  number  of  negro  laborers.  Dur- 
ing the  summer  months  many  negroes  are  employed 
on  the  steamboats.  There  are  also  about  1,400  team- 
sters and  hundreds  of  men  employed  by  the  city. 
The  less  desirable  forms  of  work  pay  fairly  remunera- 
tive wages,  but  the  general  standard  of  pay  is  low. 
Unless  work  is  regular,  a  hand-to-mouth  existence  is 
forced  upon  the  bulk  of  this  group  of  laborers.  For- 
tunately a  large  proportion  of  them  can  easily  pass 
from  one  occupation  to  another  and  thus  continue  at 
work  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year.  Thus  we 
find  that  the  great  bulk  of  male  negro  workers,  at 
least  93  per  cent.,  are  engaged  in  the  more  menial 
occupations,  most  of  which  offer  precarious  wages  and 
scanty  living. 

4.   Women  Workers 

The  negro  women  likewise  are  limited  to  a  very 
narrow  economic  sphere.  More  than  one  half  of  those 
at  work  are  laundresses,  who  go  out  from  day  to  day 
to  wash  in  private  homes.  Usually  they  receive  one 
dollar  and  sixty  cents  for  such  service.  The  mext 
largest  group  is  engaged  in  domestic  service,  the  negro 


THE  PEOPLE  59 

servant  being  especially  popular  among  the  old  South- 
ern families.  Although  a  few  women  are  engaged  in 
factory,  commercial,  and  clerical  work,  very  little  op- 
portunity for  remunerative  employment  is  found  in 
these  occupations. 

5.  Prejudice 

Practical  Christianity  has  a  long  way  to  travel  be- 
fore the  negro  is  accorded  the  treatment  that  implies 
real  brotherly  relations.  There  is  no  doubt  that  many 
negro  workers  are  ignorant  and  inefficient.  It  would 
be  miraculous  if  that  were  not  the  case.  On  the  other 
hand,  many  boys  and  girls  can  make  almost  no  practical 
use  of  their  education;  the  professions  yield  no  op- 
portunity, business  requires  capital,  the  clerical  field 
is  closed,  the  skilled  trades  are  barred,  while  only 
menial  occupations  remain  for  their  choosing.  It 
therefore  happens  that  many  educated  negroes  are 
engaged  in  occupations  in  which  their  white  competi- 
tors are  chiefly  uneducated  and  ill-trained.  Recently 
a  well  educated  negro  woman  bemoaned  the  prospects 
of  her  two  sons.  They  were  being  trained  as  best 
the  schools  can  train  them,  but  after  that  what  shall 
they  do?  Everywhere  they  meet  the  barrier  of  race 
prejudice. 

6.  Labor  Organizations 

The  labor  unions  in  most  cases  actively  or  passively 
exclude  the  negro  from  membership.  In  some  cases 
separate  locals  for  the  negroes  are  advised  and  at 
present  there  are  about  900  colored  unionists  in  the 
city.  The  discrimination  is  not  merely  race  prejudice, 
but  represents  the  desire  of  the  white  unionist  to  bet- 


60  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

ter  his  own  economic  conditions,  which  is  jeopardized 
by  too  numerous  competitors  or  by  men  ready  to  work 
for  lower  wages.  The  negro  strike-breaker  has  often 
demoralized  a  union  and  thereby  developed  antag- 
onism to  his  race.  Nevertheless,  permanent  success 
depends  on  organization  and  cooperation  of  workers 
regardless  of  race  or  creed.  The  laborer  is  worthy  of 
his  hire  and  to  obtain  it  he  cannot  now  rely  on  the  vol- 
untary generosity  of  his  employer. 

7.    Needs 

Poverty,  bad  housing,  and  poor  environment  have 
inevitable  social  effects.  The  negroes  furnish  three 
times  their  numerical  proportion  of  the  arrests  made 
in  this  city,  four  times  their  quota  of  juvenile  offend- 
ers, from  two  to  three  times  their  proportion  of  de- 
pendent families,  and  more  than  one  half  of  the  women 
in  the  workhouse  are  colored.  Race  may  be  a  factor, 
but  if  so  it  is  of  minor  importance  only.  The  right 
of  the  negro  to  improve  his  condition  should  be  as 
inalienable  as  that  of  the  white.  Immorality  and  dis- 
ease, planted  in  any  locality,  tend  to  spread  their  de- 
moralizing influence  until  an  entire  neighborhood  has 
been  contaminated  and  opportunity  must  be  given  to 
escape  from  such  an  environment.  If  we  should  con- 
demn the  negro  to  the  slums,  to  disease  and  to  poverty, 
and  thus  interfere  with  his  freedom  to  improve,  we 
do  not  follow  the  teachings  of  the  Master,  who  taught 
us  to  be  a  neighbor  to  the  despised  Samaritan  and 
not,  like  the  priest  or  the  Levite,  to  pass  on  the  other 
side.  Without  better  industrial  advantages  the  negro 
cannot  develop  adequate  standards  of  living.  He  needs 
education  and  opportunity,  and  then,  with  his  soul 


THE  PEOPLE  61 

vitalized  by  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  he  will  contribute 
to  our  civilization  in  larger  measure. 

Again,  the  home  for  the  aged,  orphan  asylum,  hos- 
pital, and  settlement  are  all  struggling  along  on  an 
impecunious  budget  and  sufficient  funds  cannot  be 
secured.  There  are  too  many  churches,  and  a  smaller 
number  with  better  parishes  would  be  very  beneficial, 
but  this  condition  is  not  easily  realized. 

To-day  leadership  among  the  negroes  is  largely  lim- 
ited to  the  professional  classes,  but  denominational 
differences  must  be  minimized,  the  social  mission  of 
the  church  magnified,  and  the  clergy  become  more  effi- 
cient leaders.  The  negro  needs  business  leadership 
as  well — leadership  that  will  crystallize  and  capitalize 
his  economic  opportunities  so  as  to  make  him  a  real 
and  indispensable  industrial  factor. 

He  needs  the  counsel  and  assistance  of  his  white 
brethren.  Practical  Christian  relationships  between 
the  two  groups  must  be  established.  The  white  minis- 
ters and  churches  must  cooperate  and  work  with  the 
colored  in  such  ways  as  will 

1.  Show  that  Caucasian  Christianity  is  as  broad 

as  this  globe. 

2.  Establish  relations  of  mutual  helpfulness. 

3.  Train  colored  ministers  to  become  more  capable 

leaders. 

4.  Broaden  the  vision  of  both  groups. 

5.  Result  in  such  unified  effort  as  may  be  required 

to  regenerate  the  city. 

At  present  there  is  little  formal  cooperation,  and 
as  a  result  the  negroes  do  not  receive  the  advantage 
of  the  experience  enjoyed  by  the  religious  leaders  of 
the  white  race.  This  is  unfair  to  both. 


6a  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

IV.    The  Church  and  Its  Duty 

Among  all  of  our  people — native  and  foreign,  white 
and  black — we  need  to  develop  a  Christian  charity 
that  recognizes  in  each  the  essential  qualities  of  human 
souls,  and  that  strives  for  the  realization  of  human 
brotherhood.  Whatever  some  doctrinaires  may  think 
and  do,  the  great  mass  of  our  people  consider  true 
religion  something  that  will  wear  seven  days  per  week, 
will  make  men  and  women  better,  will  make  them 
brotherly  in  spirit,  and  will  hold  up  for  them  ideals 
and  hopes  that  are  an  inspiration  to  their  lives  here 
and  a  promise  of  a  better  life  to  come.  We  cannot 
clamp  religion  on  a  man  as  we  fasten  a  knob  to  a 
door.  Religion  is  largely  a  process  of  absorption. 
Therefore  every  influence  that  promotes  democratic 
ideals  paves  the  way  for  religion.  Actual  contacts 
by  the  rich  with  the  poor  frequently  make  Christians 
of  the  former.  The  church  must  promote  these  con- 
tacts, become  a  real  democratizing  agency,  and  in  a 
concrete  way  develop  human  brotherhood. 

It  is  worth  while  to  bring  various  classes  and  groups 
together  and  to  break  through  the  narrow  bonds  that 
enfetter  so  many  self-styled  Christians.  The  churches 
and  church-members  must  work  with  the  poor,  the 
illiterate,  the  foreigner,  and>  the  negro,  instead  of 
working  for  them  only.  Otherwise  people  do  not  see 
the  real  picture  of  the  Christ-life  that  we  hope  will 
inspire  them. 


III. 

INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS 

There  is  a  close  relation  between  our  moral  and 
religious  life  and  our  daily  work.  The  business  of 
making  a  living  profoundly  affects  the  soul  and  al- 
ways will  do  so.  A  religious  program  that  discards 
industry  discards  one  of  man's  chief  interests.  In 
fact,  the  struggle  to  gain  a  livelihood  forms  so  large 
a  part  of  the  environment  and  the  character-building 
forces  of  men  that  the  development  of  decent  and 
uplifting  labor  conditions  must  absorb  a  great  deal 
of  religious  effort.  Industry  may  affect  religion,  but 
religion  must  humanize  and  elevate  industry.  A  re- 
ligion that  is  willing  to  see  a  child  come  into  the  world 
is  not  sane  nor  consistent  if  it  does  not  strive  to  give 
that  child  an  opportunity  for  a  wholesome  spiritual 
life.  The  ideals  of  the  carpenter's  Son,  when  realized, 
coordinate  the  body  and  soul  and  give  us  human  be- 
ings glowing  with  the  joy  of  life,  eager  in  their  desire 
for  service,  and  filled  with  the  love  of  God. 

/.    Industrial  Conditions 

i.    Important  Industries 

St.  Louis  is  an  important  manufacturing  center  and 
ranks  fourth  in  the  United  States  in  population.  In 
1914  it  had  2,786  factories.  The  boot  and  shoe 
business  ranks  first  in  respect  to  output  and  the 
number  of  employees.  Proximity  to  the  South- 
63 


64  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

west  and  West  makes  the  city  a  natural  location 
for  this  valuable  industry.  Next  comes  the  to- 
bacco industry  with  its  big  factories  and  large  roll 
of  employees.  Meat-packing  follows,  because  of  the 
cattle  and  hog  raising  territory  that  surrounds  us. 
The  brewing  industry  formerly  stood  second,  but  in 
ten  years  has  fallen  to  fourth  place.  Years  ago  German 
enterprise  made  this  city  noted  for  the  manufacture 
of  fermented  liquors.  There  are  now  in  operation 
twenty-six  different  breweries,  with  an  investment  of 
$34,000,000  and  a  labor  force  of  about  6,000  persons. 
Millions  are  invested  in  trade  and  commerce.  There 
are  a  number  of  splendid  department  stores  and  count- 
less small  establishments.  There  is  a  large  jobbing 
and  wholesale  trade,  and  the  city  is  a  distributive 
center  for  the  Southwest.  It  is  a  radiating  point  for 
a  magnificent  network  of  railroads,  twenty-two  dif- 
ferent lines  entering  the  Union  Station.  Accordingly 
it  supports  a  flourishing  railroad  branch  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  It  is  a  terminal  point ; 
lines  from  the  West  and  from  the  East  meet  and  their 
trains  stand  side  by  side. 

2.    Number  of  Laborers 

Industry  is  of  interest,  however,  chiefly  owing  to 
the  human  elements  involved.  Capital  does  nothing 
except  as  it  is  directed  by  men.  In  1915  St.  Louis  had 
an  estimated  population  of  750,000  persons,  and  of 
these  about  264,000  males  and  83,000  females,  or  a 
total  of  347,000  persons,  were  engaged  in  some  gainful 
occupation.  Nearly  one  half  of  the  population  is  earn- 
ing food  and  raiment  for  the  whole.  A  considerable 
number  of  the  workers  are  employers,  independent 


INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS  65 

business  men,  professional  men  and  women,  such  as 
lawyers,  physicians,  teachers,  and  salaried  employees 
holding  responsible  positions.  Their  labor  is  consid- 
ered dignified,  worthy,  and  inspiring.  It  is  the  so- 
called  "  laboring  classes  "  that  constitute  the  serious 
problem.  Their  labor  has  by  many  been  valued  merely 
as  a  commodity,  as  so  much  service,  and  the  human 
being  who  sells  his  labor  has  been  overlooked.  Jesus 
always  saw  the  man  or  the  woman  in  the  fisherman, 
in  the  beggar  on  the  streets,  or  even  in  the  thief  and 
the  harlot.  .  Not  only  does  the  laborer  need  inspiration, 
but  his  work  must  make  him  better;  and  if  the  com- 
munity disparages  his  labor  and  makes  it  produce  un- 
ethical results,  it  lacks  the  Christian  ideals  that  can 
make  industry  an  inspiration.  The  "  laboring  classes  " 
comprise  the  great  majority  of  all  workers — perhaps 
seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the  total.  In  manufacturing 
alone  there  are  over  100,000,  the  largest  number  oc- 
curring in  the  boot  and  shoe  industry,  foundries,  ma- 
chine shops,  breweries,  and  clothing  factories.  The 
building  trades  absorb  thousands  of  men,  the  carpen- 
ters alone  numbering  more  than  7,000. 

3.    Labor  Organizations 

The  improvement  in  labor  conditions  depends  in 
large  part  on  the  organization  of  labor.  The  facts 
indicate  that,  while  the  number  of  different  organiza- 
tions varies  from  year  to  year,  the  average  is  slightly 
above  200,  representing  about  100  trades  or  occupa- 
tions, and  that  the  number  of  members  approximates 
45,000.  There  were,  however,  53,000  members  in 
1903.  After  that  an  irregular  decline  occurred  until 
1911,  but  at  present  there  are  signs  of  increased  mem- 


66  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

bership.  However,  even  this  number  does  not  repre- 
sent more  than  one  fourth  of  the  potential  member- 
ship. The  important  trades  represented  in  organiza- 
tions are  the  following :  Carpenters,  brewery  workers, 
teamsters,  bricklayers,  cigarmakers,  barbers,  bar- 
tenders, musicians,  painters,  and  printers.  Many  local 
unions  have  organized  the  entire  labor  force  in  the 
establishments  entered  by  them,  but  in  the  majority  of 
cases  this  control  is  far  from  complete.  Among  the 
larger  trades  the  best  organized  are  the  printers,  brick- 
layers, brewery  workers,  and  musicians.  Here  nearly 
all  of  the  workers  are  organized.  Counting  the  occu- 
pations partly  organized,  it  is  estimated  that  about 
seventy  per  cent,  of  the  workers  therein  belong  to  the 
unions,  but  many  occupations  are  entirely  unorganized 
and  therefore  the  possible  membership  is  much  greater. 
Organization  is  largely  confined  to  the  skilled  trades, 
but  a  foothold  has  also  been  obtained  among  unskilled 
occupations.  Unfortunately  the  majority  of  workers 
belong  to  unskilled  groups. 

Trade  Agreements.  About  two  thirds  of  the  local 
unions  have  trade  agreements  with  the  employers,  and 
in  the  majority  of  cases  all  of  the  members  are  em- 
ployed according  to  the  rules  of  the  agreement.  In 
many  instances,  however,  the  agreement  does  not  cover 
the  operations  of  every  worker.  The  subjects  con- 
sidered are  in  most  cases  wages,  hours,  and  union 
rules,  but  occasionally  questions  relating  to  strikes, 
arbitration,  and  the  closed  shop  as  well.  In  practi- 
cally all  cases  union  labor  seeks  to  establish  a  definite 
scale  of  wages  to  which  both  employer  and  employee 
are  expected  to  adhere.  Similar  attempts  to  standard- 
ize the  hours  of  work  have  also  been  very  successful. 


INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS  67 

The  difficulties  of  greater  theoretical  seriousness  are 
those  relating  to  the  demand  that  only  union  men  shall 
be  employed.  So  long  as  the  employer  does  not  use 
the  non-union  man  to  break  down  standards  no  social 
harm  is  occasioned,  and  the  only  grievances  that  the 
union  may  have  against  the  non-union  men  are  failure 
to  support  the  cause  of  good  conditions  and  remaining 
content  to  benefit  from  the  work  of  others.  When  an 
attempt  is  made  with  strike-breakers  or  non-unionists 
to  demoralize  the  wage  scale  or  other  humane  condi- 
tions of  labor,  the  worker's  struggle  for  existence  is 
vitally  affected  and  his  activities  follow  the  line  of  least 
resistance.  How  can  he  best  protect  himself  from 
ungenerous  competition?  How  can  the  conditions  of 
labor  be  improved  ?  A  failure  to  recognize  these  fun- 
damental facts  results  in  much  unreasoning  interpre- 
tation of  the  activities  of  union  labor.  Excesses  and 
unwise  action  may  be  expected  from  time  to  time  just 
as  they  are  regularly  observed  in  other  fields  of  the 
economic  world.  Nevertheless  the  great  majority  of 
strikes  are  for  the  distinct  purpose  of  directly  improv- 
ing conditions  in  respect  to  wages  and  hours.  There 
are  frequent  demands  for  the  recognition  of  a  union, 
objections  to  discrimination  against  it,  and  occasional 
strikes  to  gain  a  closed  shop.  The  majority  of  strikes 
within  the  last  few  years  have  been  settled  satisfac- 
torily to  labor,  but  some  of  the  larger  strikes,  involv- 
ing considerable  numbers  of  men,  have  been  lost. 

Examples  of  Strikes.  The  following  examples 
may  throw  light  on  the  conditions  in  which  the 
churches  must  interest  themselves  and  which  they 
must  aim  to  improve.  In  1916  the  workers  in  a  fac- 
tory appealed  for  higher  wages.  The  demand  was 


68  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

granted.  They  came  back  asking  for  shorter  hours, 
and  again  they  obtained  their  request.  Once  more 
they  returned  and  asked  for  the  reinstatement  of  a 
worker  discharged  for  incompetency.  This  time  the 
demand  was  refused  and  the  men  struck.  No  good 
spirit  had  animated  these  men  in  their  dealings,  for 
the  fundamental  desire  was  to  make  trouble. 

In  1913  garment  workers  to  the  number  of  about 
1,100  struck  in  thirty-eight  factories  in  the  city.  The 
workers  justly  complained  of  many  grievances.  There 
were  two  active  seasons  of  from  eight  to  ten  weeks 
each  and  light  work  at  other  times ;  yet  the  men  worked 
long  hours  and  on  Sundays.  Women  sometimes  vio- 
lated the  nine-hour  law.  Conditions  in  some  shops 
were  unsanitary,  and  many  workers  suffered  from  tu- 
berculosis. The  wages  were  indefinite  and  unsatis- 
factory. The  subcontract  system  was  in  use  among 
some  shops,  also  a  deposit  system  whereby  workers 
deposited  a  certain  sum  for  insurance  against  damag- 
ing goods.  Individual  contracts  were  in  vogue  and 
unions  were  not  recognized.  During  the  strike  several 
of  the  police  interfered  with  the  strikers,  and  the  state 
board  of  arbitration  attempted  twice  to  settle  the  dif- 
ficulties, but  without  success.  When  a  citizens'  com- 
mittee requested  both  sides  to  present  their  case,  so 
as  to  make  an  adjustment  possible,  the  workers  ap- 
peared, but  the  employers  refused.  The  strikers  were 
merely  asking  for  conditions  similar  to  those  enjoyed 
by  workers  elsewhere.  Eventually  some  of  the  shops 
settled  amicably  with  the  strikers,  but  the  majority 
refused  and  the  strike  was  lost.  Many  of  the  men 
moved  to  other  cities  to  find  employment.  Unfortu- 
nately for  St.  Louis,  the  business  men  of  the  city  failed 


INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS  69 

to  meet  the  emergency  and,  while  they  are  clamoring 
for  more  trade  and  industry,  did  not  seriously  attempt 
to  prevent  this  damaging  conflict  between  capital  and 
labor. 

Both  sides  are  guilty  of  excesses.  Laborers  often 
use  physical  violence  because  that  is  their  only  means 
of  defense.  Employers  pharisaically  protest  against 
violence,  but  use  starvation,  importation  of  strike- 
breakers, and  refusal  to  employ  as  clubs  to  beat  labor- 
ers into  submission. 

Benefit  Funds.  About  six  sevenths  of  the  labor 
unions  have  established  benefit  "  funds,"  and  partake 
of  the  nature  of  fraternal  bodies.  The  amount  paid 
annually  to  members  from  these  funds  approximates 
$100,000.  No  opposition  is  expressed  to  this  feature 
of  trade  unionism,  and  many  employers  would  have 
the  unions  limit  themselves  to  this  activity. 

The  labor  unions,  by  keeping  in  constant  touch  with 
their  members,  know  how  many  are  employed  and 
also  serve  as  employment  agencies.  Usually  the  men 
out  of  work  are  recommended  for  new  positions  in 
the  order  of  their  registration.  This  arrangement  se- 
cures to  the  persons  longest  unemployed  the  first 
opportunity  for  reemployment,  but  makes  no  selec- 
tion of  workers  possible  on  the  basis  of  merit  or 
ability. 

Program  of  Organized  Labor.  The  activities  and 
program  of  organized  labor  may  be  summed  up  under 
the  following  heads : 

1.  To  protect  members  through  a  benefit  system. 

2.  To  find  employment  for  those  out  of  work. 

3.  To  improve  the  working  conditions  of  the  la- 

borer through  better  wages,  shorter  hours,  etc. 


70  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

4.  To  gain  more  rights  for  labor  before  the  law. 

5.  To  secure  social  justice. 

4.    Industrial  Accidents 

The  effects  of  industrial  accident  are  particularly 
demoralizing.  Fatal  accident  usually  means  a  broken 
home,  with  responsibility  thrown  upon  the  mother  and 
minor  children.  Often  it  results  in  neglected  children 
or  in  recruiting  the  orphan  asylum.  Non-fatal  acci- 
dents among  single  men  frequently  lead  to  vagrancy 
and  mendicancy.  In  1911-12,  according  to  investiga- 
tions by  the  School  of  Social  Economy,  220  industrial 
accidents  occurred  in  St.  Louis.  The  reports  of  St 
Louis  labor  organizations  account  for  from  sixty  to 
seventy  per  year  among  union  men  alone.  It  is  clear, 
therefore,  that  more  than  one  hundred  persons  are 
killed  every  year  through  some  industrial  accident 
In  addition  there  are  many  non-fatal  accidents.  The 
number  reported  by  the  labor  unions  is  from  ten  to 
eleven  times  that  of  the  fatal  accidents,  but  if  the 
minor  accidents,  involving  disability  of  one  week  or 
more,  are  included,  the  proportion  is  much  greater. 
Possibly  5,000  accidents  occur  annually  in  this  city. 

The  blame  for  fatal  accidents  is  well  distributed. 
The  investigation  referred  to  credits  the  workmen 
with  the  sole  blame  in  22.7  per  cent,  of  the  cases — 
proportions  similar  to  those  ascertained  by  investiga- 
tions elsewhere — and  as  partly  to  blame  in  about  one 
half  of  the  accidents.  But  in  three  quarters  of  the 
cases  the  fellow-workman,  defective  equipment,  care- 
lessness of  employer,  and  the  uncontrollable  hazards 
of  industry  are  either  chief  or  contributory  causes. 
With  the  bulk  of  accidents  due  to  these  reasons,  where 


INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS  71 

is  the  justice  in  a  system  that  compels  the  victim  of 
accident  to  suffer  alone  or  imposes  poverty  on  the 
unfortunate  family? 

The  state  has  no  workmen's  compensation  law,  but 
staggers  along  under  the  old  system,  which  presses 
the  unfortunate  down  into  a  life  of  poverty  and  deg- 
radation and  defeats  justice,  or  gives  some  lawyer 
what  the  widow  ought  to  have  and  leaves  her  no  alter- 
native except  the  wash-board  or  the  mop.  Within  five 
years  thirty-one  states  have  enacted  such  laws.  It  is 
most  unjust  to  place  the  burden  of  accidents  upon  the 
worker;  it  must  be  shifted  to  society  so  that  the  suf- 
ferer or  his  family  may  enjoy  another  opportunity. 

5.    Unemployment 

A  twin  evil  of  accident  is  unemployment.  It  does 
not  always  follow  that  the  annual  earnings  of  the  un- 
employed are  less  than  those  who  are  steadily  at  work, 
but  it  usually  happens  that  their  moral  standards  are 
lower  and  that  their  families  suffer  more  from  want 
and  neglect.  Why?  Because  long  continued  idleness 
begets  a  desire  for  idleness  and  develops  habits  of 
shiftlessness  and  of  vice.  Many  men  seeking  employ- 
ment begin  with  a  full  assurance  of  their  capacity. 
Several  consecutive  failures  to  find  work,  however, 
destroy  their  confidence  in  themselves,  and  soon  their 
diffidence  and  hesitation  result  in  lost  ambition  and 
inability  to  obtain  a  position.  Few  industrial  condi- 
tions are  more  demoralizing  than  involuntary  unem- 
ployment. If,  therefore,  we  want  to  hold  families  to 
high  ideals,  protect  the  morals  of  the  children,  and 
develop  stable  family  life  so  as  to  give  the  religious 
impulse  fertile  ground  for  development,  we  must, 


72  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

among  other  things,  make  employment  regular.  Our 
missions  and  our  relief  societies  are  both  constantly 
beset  with  men  whose  moral  decline  began  with  the 
irregularity  of  habit  and  the  discouragement  that  fol- 
lowed a  period  of  forced  unemployment.  Usually  they 
want  a  job,  or  at  least  ask  for  one,  but  often  they 
have  become  utterly  unfit  to  hold  any  position.  Unem- 
ployment, like  a  double-edged  sword,  cuts  both  ways. 
It  is  caused  by  defects  in  the  individual  and  also  causes 
defects  to  developed  within  him. 

Industrial  Depression  of  1914-1915.  Slackness 
of  work  is  not  uniform  throughout  the  year,  nor  from 
year  to  year.  Our  industrial  system  forces  a  serious 
depression  at  almost  regular  intervals.  At  these  times 
the  labor  situation  is  aggravated,  poverty  becomes 
marked,  the  relief  societies  are  overtaxed,  crime  in- 
creases, evictions  are  numerous,  and  other  ills  abound. 
Such  a  condition  was  witnessed  in  St.  Louis  during 
the  year  1914  and  continued  until  the  summer  of  1915. 
Thousands  of  men  were  out  of  employment,  others 
were  working  on  part  time — two  or  three  days  per 
week — and  all  the  while  the  cost  of  living  was  grad- 
ually increasing.  Several  brief  investigations  of  con- 
ditions were  made  in  the  winter  of  1914-1915,  and 
estimates  of  the  amount  of  unemployment  were  placed 
as  high  as  80,000  persons.  Probably  50,000  repre- 
sents a  more  nearly  accurate  figure.  At  any  rate  the 
situation  was  unprecedented  in  the  history  of  St.  Louis. 
Men  begged  for  opportunities  to  work,  but  no  work 
could  be  secured.  The  St.  Louis  Provident  Associa- 
tion relieved  more  than  twice  the  number  aided  the 
previous  year  and  operated  a  rock  pile,  where  limited 
employment  could  be  obtained.  The  St.  Vincent  de 


INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS  73 

Paul  Society  more  than  doubled  its  work,  while  other 
societies  were  similarly  overtaxed.  The  philanthropies 
handled  the  situation  as  well  as  possible.  Little  con- 
structive work  was  done  by  other  agencies,  although 
the  municipality  continued  some  of  its  employees 
longer  than  usual  and  carried  on  work  which  would 
otherwise  have  been  postponed.  Some  of  the  em- 
ployers kept  their  men  on  a  part-time  basis  instead 
of  shutting  down,  and  a  special  appeal  to  citizens  to 
give  opportunities  for  employment  about  their  houses 
and  yards  yielded  some  results.  Beyond  these  efforts 
little  was  done,  and  the  suffering  was  borne  by  the  un- 
employed. A  Mayor's  Committee  on  Employment 
was  appointed,  but  too  late  to  deal  effectively  with  the 
situation.  This  committee  has  hoped  to  develop  per- 
manent plans  for  holding  in  check  severe  crises  such 
as  this,  but  its  program  has  not  yet  matured.  The 
full  cooperation  of  employers,  employees,  the  munici- 
pality, and  philanthropy  is  necessary  for  success. 

Seasonal  Trades.  The  persistent  unemployment 
occurring  from  year  to  year  must  also  be  checked. 
Certain  occupations  are  necessarily  seasonal  and  little 
can  be  done  to  change  them.  Among  these  are  brick- 
laying, carpentering,  plastering,  sign-painting,  etc. 
Occupations  depending  on  climatic  conditions,  fruit 
season,  and  holiday  trade  are  very  irregular  and  can 
with  difficulty  be  adjusted.  Perhaps  in  some  cases 
it  is  impossible.  Even  in  a  comparatively  normal  year 
such  as  1913  the  reports  of  labor  organizations  indi- 
cate much  chronic  unemployment,  the  figures  showing 
that  in  some  trades  there  is  practically  no  work  for 
several  months.  Evidences  as  to  the  general  situation 
in  the  United  States  indicate  that  in  a  normal  or  even 


74  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

good  year  nearly  ten  per  cent,  of  the  workers  are  un- 
employed at  any  one  time  and  about  thirty  per  cent, 
at  some  time  in  the  year.  This  situation  is  one  we 
must  face  here,  especially  since  it  appears  in  aggra- 
vated forms  in  certain  industries,  notably  the  garment 
trade. 

Social  Legislation.  Social  legislation  has  operated 
to  increase  the  length  of  a  season  by  limiting  hours 
of  work,  and  by  other  laws;  labor  organizations  have 
assisted  through  their  rules  regulating  pay  for  over- 
time, and  the  public  by  demanding  a  longer  season. 
The  "  Shop  Early  "  campaign  of  the  Missouri  Con- 
sumers' League  has  naturally  lengthened  the  Christ- 
mas shopping  season  and  enabled  all  of  the  leading 
department  stores  to  eliminate  the  physically  injurious 
evening  shopping  hours.  The  great  problem  is  that 
of  making  work  regular  throughout  the  year.  Instead 
of  a  large  force  operating  six  or  nine  months,  a  smaller 
force  working  at  least  eleven  months  would  be  a  great 
advantage  to  the  working  class.  But  to  regularize 
industry  is  a  mammoth  undertaking  and  will  require 
years  to  accomplish  through  a  complicated  program 
of  endeavor.  What  success  will  mean  for  the  morality 
of  the  workers  and  the  general  stability  and  well-being 
of  families  is  evident  and  must  challenge  the  hopes 
of  every  humanitarian. 

Employment  Bureaus.  To  some  extent  unem- 
ployment can  be  relieved  by  the  operation  of  success- 
ful employment  agencies.  There  are  many  commer- 
cial bureaus  in  this  city,  but  their  dealings  are  for 
profit  only,  and  frequently  they  exploit  the  laborer  to 
his  great  moral  and  social  harm. 

St.  Louis  is  provided  with  a  number  of  public  and 


INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS  75 

philanthropic  bureaus.  The  federal  government  has 
recently  utilized  the  post-office  and  the  local  branch 
of  the  immigration  bureau  to  bring  laborers  in  touch 
with  opportunities  for  work.  The  state  free  employ- 
ment bureau  has  a  branch  here  that  renders  aid  to 
both  sexes.  The  Young  Women's  Christian  Associa- 
tion annually  finds  positions  for  thousands  of  women; 
while  the  relief  societies  also  find  employment  for 
many  applicants,  and  the  labor  unions  endeavor  to 
care  for  their  own.  Nevertheless  the  ground  is  not 
adequately  covered.  The  private  societies  are  some- 
what handicapped,  the  federal  work  is  new,  and  the 
state  bureau  has  opportunities  for  expansion  and 
greater  service.  Although  many  individual  jobs  are 
filled  in  the  city,  the  chief  service  still  unperformed  is 
that  of  sending  workers  to  fill  positions  opening  else- 
where. Employment  bureaus,  however,  can  only 
bring  the  unemployed  in  contact  with  the  job;  they 
cannot  create  jobs ;  yet  it  is  clear  that  at  present  there 
are  not  sufficient  positions  for  all.  Some  must  be  idle 
part  of  the  time.  All  cannot  be  employed.  This  being 
true,  the  remedies  suggested  are  still  inadequate,  be- 
cause the  elimination  of  unemployment  involves  the 
development  of  opportunities  for  work  for  all.  While 
this  is  an  economic  question,  it  is  an  ethical  one  as 
well.  As  to  its  solution,  opinions  differ,  and  pro- 
grams have  not  been  fully  developed;  so  it  would  be 
unwise  to  attempt  a  practical  proposal  here.  It  is 
necessary,  however,  for  all  to  consider  the  seriousness 
of  this  situation  and  to  approach  the  problem  with  a 
Christian  spirit  and  a  desire  to  give  an  opportunity 
to  all. 


76  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

//.    Child  Labor 

1.  Age  Limits 

The  Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in 
America  has  officially  pronounced  against  child 
labor  and  has  realized  the  moral  significance  of 
the  problem.  The  Missouri  child  labor  law  is 
a  comparatively  advanced  one,  but  certain  imper- 
fections remain.  Boys  under  ten  may  not  sell 
newspapers,  but  there  is  no  definite  provision  as 
to  the  enforcement  of  the  law.  The  age  limit 
should  be  raised  at  least  to  fourteen  and  work 
after  a  certain  evening  hour  prohibited.  At  best,  the 
newsboys  are  a  problem.  A  majority  are  at  some 
time  or  other  brought  into  our  juvenile  court,  irregu- 
larity of  school  attendance  is  common,  truancy  is  fre- 
quent, while  bad  habits  develop  among  them.  They 
find  the  work  a  blind  alley  occupation — one  that  leads 
nowhere  and  that  must  be  discontinued.  Boys  do  not 
usually  sell  papers  longer  than  three  years,  but  find 
other  jobs  after  they  have  reached  the  regular  working 
age  of  fourteen.  Children  may  not  engage  in  other 
gainful  employment,  if  less  than  fourteen,  except  in  ag- 
riculture and  domestic  service;  and  if  they  are  between 
iourteen  and  sixteen  they  must  obtain  work  certifi- 
cates. In  two  years  over  8,000  certificates  have  been 
granted  in  St.  Louis.  The  children  with  working  pa- 
pers added  to  those  engaged  in  domestic  service  and 
the  street  trades  number  at  least  10,000. 

2.  Inadequate  Educational  Tests 

The  law  makes  no  educational  requirement  except 
that  the  child  must  be  able  to  read  and  write  simple 


INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS  77 

sentences  in  English.  Accordingly  very  few  applicants 
for  working  papers  are  rejected  and  a  large  proportion 
have  not  finished  the  fifth  or  sixth  grades.  Child  labor, 
accompanied  by  serious  educational  deficiency,  is  a 
system  that  practically  destroys  all  real  opportunity 
in  life  for  its  victims.  The  educational  requirements 
should  be  raised  to  the  eighth  grade;  and  if  children 
are  pressed  by  poverty  the  community  should  make 
whatever  provision  is  necessary  to  enable  them  to  gain 
at  least  that  much  education. 

3.  Physical  Examinations 

Again,  the  law  does  not  provide  for  compulsory 
physical  examination,  and  as  a  result,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  few  cases  of  obvious  defectiveness  which 
are  turned  over  to  the  physician,  a  cursory  examination 
by  the  official  granting  the  certificate  is  all  that  is 
received.  Many  children  are  not  physically  capable 
of  working  an  eight-hour  day,  and  ought  not  attempt 
this  until  sufficiently  strong  to  endure  the  tax  of  labor 
without  danger  to  themselves.  Many  children  should 
be  rejected  outright,  while  others  should  be  strictly 
limited  to  certain  occupations;  and  all  weak,  subnor- 
mal children  should  receive  the  physical  training  and 
the  care  necessary  for  the  proper  development  of 
physique. 

4.  Demoralizing  Results 

The  law  fixes  the  working  age  at  fourteen,  limits 
hours  to  eight  per  day,  and  prohibits  work  after  7 
p.  m. ;  but  it  would  be  better  to  raise  the  minimum 
age  to  sixteen,  in  order  to  give  the  child  a  better 
chance.  Most  child  labor  consists  of  work  in  menial 


78  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

and  unpromising  positions.  Estimates  place  the  per- 
centage of  unskilled  work  at  from  ninety  to  ninety- 
.five;  that  is,  nine  tenths  of  the  children  make  but  little 
advance  except  by  changing  their  occupations  when 
they  become  old  enough.  They  simply  mark  time 
from  fourteen  to  sixteen  and  earn  a  small  sum 
of  money,  but  they  get  no  training  for  their  subse- 
quent industrial  life.  Every  one  should  understand 
that  child  labor  involves  the  sacrifice  of  future  possi- 
bilities for  a  petty  present  gain — a  gain  often  so  small 
as  to  make  any  defense  of  the  system  seem  ludicrous. 

///.    Female  Labor 
i.    Number  of  Women  Employed 

Women's  labor  is  a  serious  problem,  partly  because 
of  the  many  married  women  at  work,  partly  because 
of  the  thousands  receiving  less  than  a  living  wage, 
partly  because  of  the  limited  stay  of  the  average 
woman  in  industry.  Out  of  the  80,000  females  of 
ten  years  and  over  in  St.  Louis  industry  about  25,000 
are  engaged  in  manufacturing  and  mechanical  pur- 
suits; 7,000  in  trade,  most  of  them  being  clerks  in 
stores  and  saleswomen;  over  10,000  in  clerical  occu- 
pations, such  as  stenography,  bookkeeping,  etc.;  6,000 
in  the  professions,  mostly  teachers,  and  over  28,000 
in  domestic  and  personal  service.  More  than  one 
fourth  (27.4  per  cent.)  of  all  females  ten  years  and 
over  are  at  work,  and  woman  as  an  economic  factor 
cannot  be  ignored.  She  is  found  in  almost  every  oc- 
cupation, and  the  proportion  of  women  at  work  is 
steadily  increasing.  Unfortunately  this  is  also  true 
about  the  married  women,  a  result  due  largely  to  the 
economic  pressure  on  the  immigrant  and  the  negro. 


INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS  79 

By  just  so  much  are  homes  neglected  and  children 
given  an  opportunity  to  go  wrong.  It  has  been  esti- 
mated that  twenty  per  cent,  of  the  women  engaged  in 
manufacturing  and  mercantile  occupations  are  self- 
supporting,  but  the  proportion  among  the  remaining 
women  is  uncertain;  nevertheless  it  is  probable  that 
at  least  8,000  working  women,  not  including  the  pro- 
fessional women  or  the  servant  class,  are  dependent 
on  themselves.  The  great  majority  of  working 
women  (from  75  to  80  per  cent.)  live  with  their  par- 
ents or  other  members  of  the  family  and  turn  over 
all  or  part  of  their  earnings  into  a  common  family 
treasury.  Their  wages  are  not  regulated  by  their  in- 
dividual cost  of  living,  but  by  other  considerations. 

2.   Wages  of  Women 

A  study  by  the  Missouri  School  of  Social  Economy 
of  six  selected  industries  shows  some  interesting  facts 
in  regard  to  the  wages  paid  in  1912  to  women  sixteen 
years  of  age  or  over.  The  industries  studied  were 
tobacco,  cotton,  drug,  bakery,  paper  box,  and  candy. 
Grouping  these  industries,  we  find  that  fifteen  per  cent, 
of  the  women  received  less  than  $5.00  per  week;  forty 
per  cent,  received  between  $5.00  and  $7.00;  twenty- 
five  per  cent,  between  $7.00  and  $9.00,  and  the  re- 
mainder, or  eighteen  per  cent.,  received  $9.00  or  over. 
More  than  one  half  of  all  the  women  earned  less  than 
$7.00  per  week;  in  fact,  about  three  quarters  received 
wages  lower  than  the  figure  hereinafter  given  as  a 
minimum  wage — and  the  industries  vary  widely  among 
themselves.  The  drug,  cotton,  and  candy  industries 
employ  but  few  at  the  $9.00  rate,  the  great  majority 
receiving  less  than  $7.00.  The  remaining  industries 


8o  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

employ  considerable  cheap  labor,  but  they  also  carry 
a  quantity  of  high-priced  labor  and  therefore  make  it 
possible  for  workers  to  advance  into  a  series  of  de- 
sirable occupations.  Girls  of  the  former  group  are 
practically  compelled  to  remain  at  a  low  wage  level 
or  change  their  occupations  by  entering  some  other 
industry  or  occupation  that  involves  considerable  tem- 
porary loss.  A  separate  study  made  of  the  men's 
clothing  industry  indicated  that  out  of  1,569  women 
whose  earnings  were  examined,  50.2  per  cent,  received 
wages  of  less  than  $7.00  per  week,  although  27  per 
cent,  received  $9.00  or  over.  Naturally  the  higher 
wages  are  usually  paid  the  older  women  and  not  to  the 
girls  of  from  sixteen  to  twenty  years;  still  it  seems 
reasonable  to  assume  that  a  young  woman  of  eighteen, 
with  one  year  of  experience  in  industry,  should  com- 
mand a  living  wage.  The  majority  of  such  persons, 
however,  receive  less  than  $7.00  per  week,  which 
roughly  approximates  the  average  wage  received  in 
manufacturing  and  mercantile  occupations. 

3.    Irregular  Employment 

Again,  work  is  not  steady  throughout  the  year,  and 
the  weekly  wage  is  no  real  index  of  the  annual  in- 
come. Usually  work  is  not  regular,  a  factory  either 
not  operating  fifty-two  weeks  in  the  year  or  run- 
ning part-time  for  a  limited  period.  Frequently  more 
women  are  employed  than  are  necessary  to  operate 
on  a  full-time  basis,  especially  where  the  piece-work 
system  prevails.  Female  labor  is  so  shifting  that  in  the 
men's  clothing  factories,  for  example,  less  than  one 
half  of  the  women  employed  have  served  for  six 
months  or  more.  Other  industries  also  indicate  the 


INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS  81 

presence  of  much  casual  or  irregular  labor.  Wages 
in  the  department  stores  are  lower  than  in  many  fac- 
tories and  therefore  constitute  a  serious  problem.  The 
social  desirability  of  this  form  of  labor  results  in  at- 
tracting women  at  lower  wages  than  they  might  re- 
ceive elsewhere.  From  $6.00  to  $7.00  represents  the 
amount  usually  paid.  On  the  whole  it  is  apparent 
that  female  labor  is  specially  characterized  by  low 
wages  and  irregularity  of  service. 

IV.   A  Living  Wage 
i.    Cost  of  Living  for  the  Working  Girl 

The  cost  of  living  is  a  serious  problem  for  the  work- 
ing girl.  It  has  become  necessary  to  consider  her  as 
a  separate  individual  instead  of  part  of  a  family,  for 
whom  a  properly  adjusted  family  budget  will  solve  the 
question.  The  difficulties  arise  partly  from  the  fact 
that  thousands  of  the  working  women  are  compelled 
to  subsist  on  their  own  earnings  and  partly  from  the 
lack  of  standards  due  to  the  irregular  competition  of 
girls  who  are  partly  supported  by  other  members  of 
the  family.  It  is  at  once  apparent  that  the  self-sus- 
taining woman  must  earn  a  living  wage,  but  a  wage 
which  merely  holds  body  and  soul  together  for  the 
time  is  not  a  living  wage  in  the  enlightened  sense  of 
the  term.  An  adequate  wage  should  enable  a  woman 
to  live  decently  under  conditions  which  will  insure  her 
physical  health,  keep  her  intellectually  advancing,  and 
enable  her  to  live  in  parts  of  the  city  having  a  good 
moral  environment.  That  is,  it  must  safeguard  her 
physically,  mentally,  and  morally;  and  every  wage 
which,  while  it  may  be  adequate  for  the  body,  con- 
demns a  woman  to  an  environment  which  debases  and 


82  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

degrades,  is  not  a  living  wage  which  the  Christian  can 
accept  as  just  and  fair.  Various  attempts  have  been 
made  to  estimate  the  amount  of  a  proper  living  wage 
in  the  large  cities.  Singularly  enough  the  estimate 
made  by  Miss  Ruth  Crawford  for  the  Missouri  School 
of  Social  Economy  is  sufficiently  similar  in  amount  to 
estimates  made  elsewhere  to  justify  the  conclusion 
that  it  is  a  reasonably  fair  computation.  The  esti- 
mate is  as  follows: 

WEEKLY  COST  OF  LIVING. 

Food    $3.50 

Rent  2.00 

Clothing   1.53 

Laundry    25 

Carfare    60 

Amusement 1 

Church   

Insurance     ?• 65 

Vacation    

Medical  attention.  J 

Total    $8.53 

The  prevailing  high  prices  of  food  make  an  expendi- 
ture of  less  than  fifty  cents  per  day  for  meals  a  virtual 
impossibility.  Tests  by  philanthropic  organizations 
have  resulted  in  similar  conclusions.  It  frequently 
happens,  however,  that  a  number  of  girls  carry  on  a 
scheme  of  cooperative  housing  at  a  lower  cost;  but 
usually  they  stint  themselves,  eat  insufficient  and  poorly 
prepared  foods,  and  in  the  long  run  must  compensate 
for  the  apparent  saving  in  some  other  way. 

In  the  better  sections  of  the  city  rooms  cannot  be 
secured  for  $2.00  per  week,  and  this  figure  affords 
accommodations  none  too  good  and  often  only  too 
close  to  an  uncongenial  and  morally  hazardous  en- 
vironment. It  is  not  low  wages  so  much  as  the  bad 


INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS  83 

surroundings  which  such  wages  impose  that  cause  so 
many  girls  to  become  immoral.  The  experience  of 
the  organized  (philanthropic)  boarding-houses  of  this 
city  indicates  that  it  is  difficult  to  provide  both  board 
and  lodging  for  a  less  amount  than  $5.50.  To  do  so 
means  to  draw  upon  philanthropy  for  a  subsidy  or  to 
sacrifice  the  physical  and  moral  self. 

Young  women  enjoy  dainty  and  sufficient  clothes. 
Those  engaged  in  certain  occupations  must  appear 
well  dressed  or  they  forfeit  their  positions.  The  coer- 
cion of  fashion  also  has  a  driving  power  that  means 
the  expenditure  of  definite  sums  for  clothing.  Actual 
accounting  for  every  cent  spent  on  clothing  by  work- 
ing women  in  New  York  City  showed  that  $74.00 
per  year  did  not  meet  the  need  adequately.  An  allow- 
ance of  $80.00,  therefore,  is  reasonable  and  ought  to 
be  granted  without  argument.  Laundry  and  car  fare 
swell  the  expenditures  eighty-five  cents  per  week,  and 
these  items  added  to  the  preceding  ones  make  a  total 
of  $7.88.  It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  food, 
lodging,  clothing,  laundry,  and  car  fare  do  not  consti- 
tute the  complete  set  of  items  going  into  the  compu- 
tation of  a  minimum  wage.  Recreation  must  have  a 
place;  without  a  vacation,  efficiency  is  impaired;  with- 
out a  chance  to  read  books,  magazines,  and  other  lit- 
erature, mental  lethargy  results;  some  money  must 
be  spent  for  medical  and  dental  attention;  contribu- 
tions to  religious  organizations  are  practically  neces- 
sary if  a  religious  life  is  to  be  made  possible,  and  a 
little  fund  should  be  set  aside  as  insurance  against  a 
rainy  day.  Failure  to  consider  any  and  all  of  these 
necessary  expenditures  means  the  depreciation  of  the 
human  being  and  is  paralleled  in  the  industrial  world 


84  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

by  neglecting  to  make  allowances  for  interest  on  capi- 
tal and  for  the  depreciation  of  the  plant.  To  allow 
sixty- five  cents  per  week  for  all  of  these  important 
considerations  is  indeed  parsimonious  economy  and 
a  larger  sum  should  be  granted.  Nevertheless  by 
adding  this  figure  we  find  our  minimum  wage  to  be 
slightly  more  than  $8.50.  How  many  of  our  working 
women  earn  this  minimum?  No  one  knows,  but 
we  do  know  that  the  majority  do  not,  and  that  they 
are  steadily  encroaching  on  their  physical  and  moral 
capital.  A  living  wage  is  not  a  mere  economic  ques- 
tion. It  is  a  moral  problem  of  deepest  significance, 
and  that  is  why  the  Federal  Council  of  the  Churches 
is  so  concerned  about  it. 

Working  Women's  Organizations.  Efforts  have 
been  made  to  improve  the  lot  of  working  women 
through  organization.  So  far  this  has  not  yielded 
very  successful  results.  In  1913  there  were  2,940 
women  connected  with  organizations,  but  for  several 
years  the  average  has  been  about  2,000,  the  chief  oc- 
cupations represented  being  bookbinding,  boot  and 
shoe  workers,  garment-making,  waitresses,  and  brew- 
ery workers.  The  organizations  have  struggled  for 
better  wages,  shorter  hours,  the  right  to  organize,  and 
the  recognition  of  collective  bargaining.  However, 
less  than  five  per  cent,  of  the  potential  membership 
is  organized,  and  therefore  little  can  at  present  be  done. 
The  telephone  strike  of  1913  was  badly  defeated,  the 
chief  issue  at  stake  being  the  recognition  of  the  union. 
Women  must  organize  for  self-protection,  but  the 
public  must  assist  them  in  their  efforts  to  receive  jus- 
tice and  good  working  conditions,  or  serious  physical 
and  moral  harm  will  result.  The  Missouri  law  limit- 


INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS  85 

ing  working  hours  to  nine  per  day  and  fifty-four  per 
week  is  a  case  in  point.  Its  rigid  enforcement  should 
be  demanded  by  the  good  people  of  the  city  for  the 
sake  of  its  beneficial  consequences.  Furthermore,  the 
state  should  provide  for  a  minimum  wage  commission 
or  similar  body  to  inquire  into  wage  conditions  and  to 
bring  about,  by  compulsory  decree  if  necessary,  read- 
justments to  the  advantage  of  the  working  girl. 

2.  Standards  for  a  Family 

The  wages  of  labor  are  necessary  to  give  the  work- 
ingman  his  daily  bread,  but  the  increase  in  wages 
has  not  kept  pace  with  the  rising  cost  of  living.  The 
labor  organizations  have  in  most  cases  a  fixed  schedule 
of  wages.  In  very  few  occupations  is  the  standard 
wage  for  men  less  than  $2.00  per  day,  and  the  maxi- 
mum rises  in  the  case  of  engineers  to  $6.60.  According 
to  their  figures,  the  average  wage  paid  union  men  in 
1913  was  $3.82  per  day  for  282  days.  The  annual 
income  would  therefore  approximate  $1,000,  but  the 
larger  number  of  workers  are  outside  the  unions  and 
their  average  annual  wage  can  hardly  be  more  than 
$600,  while  in  many  cases  it  is  considerably  less.  Many 
teamsters  receive  only  $2.00  per  day,  while  a  good  pro- 
portion of  the  common  labor  receives  $1.75.  Even 
the  city  pays  its  garbage  haulers  only  $65.00  per 
month  and  its  street  cleaners  $1.50  per  day.  Accord- 
ingly, a  large  number  of  men  must  rely  upon  help  from 
their  families  in  order  to  obtain  an  income  adequate 
for  the  family  needs.  Child  labor  is  therefore  pressed 
into  service,  and  some  labor  by  the  wife  also  provides 
a  supplementary  income.  This  creates  a  vicious  circle, 
since  low-paid  labor  forces  down  the  wages  of  the 


86  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

head  of  the  family;  and  because  of  this  low  wage  ad- 
ditional members  of  the  family  are  compelled  to  enter 
industry. 

The  Missouri  School  of  Social  Economy  in  1910 
estimated  that  at  least  $750  per  year  was  necessary  to 
maintain  a  family  of  five  in  decent  circumstances.  On 
this  basis  about  45  per  cent,  of  the  income  can  be 
spent  for  food,  15  for  clothing,  an  equal  amount  for 
rent,  5  for  fuel  and  light,  and  20  per  cent,  for  sun- 
dries, such  as  education,  insurance,  church,  and  recrea- 
tion. The  significance  of  these  figures  becomes  more 
apparent  when  they  are  stated  in  terms  of  dollars. 
Consider  clothing  a  man,  a  woman,  and  three  children 
on  $115.00  per  year  and  make  them  appear  respect- 
able; require  this  family  to  limit  monthly  rent  bills 
to  less  than  $10.00  and  its  annual  light  and  fuel  bill 
to  $40.00;  compel  them  to  spend  less  than  $1.00  per 
day  for  food,  and  then  allow  them  $150.00  per  year 
for  various  forms  of  self-improvement.  What  will 
happen?  Food  is  the  most  important  essential — but 
steak  has  risen  twenty-five  per  cent,  since  1910;  pork, 
eggs,  butter,  and  cornmeal  are  dearer;  sugar  has  be- 
come a  luxury,  and  other  foods  have  increased  in 
cost.  Figures  covering  the  years  January,  1912,  to 
March,  1916,  show  that  all  foods  cost  more  at  the 
latter  date  than  the  former,  with  the  exception  of  pota- 
toes. But  prices  in  1916  were  nineteen  per  cent,  higher 
than  the  year  before,  and  the  rise  in  the  cost  of  pota- 
toes is  too  recent  to  require  comment.  As  a  result 
of  this  increase  in  the  cost  of  living  a  heavy  inroad 
is  being  made  on  the  money  set  aside  for  moral  and 
intellectual  improvement.  Often  this  is  practically 
jyiped  out.  Clothing,  furniture,  and  fuel  have  become 


INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS  87 

more  costly,  and  either  less  can  be  purchased  or  the 
family  must  stint  itself  along  some  other  line.  While 
the  prices  of  food  articles  have  risen  tremendously 
since  1890,  the  wages  of  labor  have  hardly  kept  pace, 
and  as  a  result  many  wage-earners  are  living  a  most 
precarious  family  life.  The  more  nearly  hand-to- 
mouth  an  existence,  the  less  money  and  energy  are  ex- 
pended in  cultivating  the  higher  self.  So  long  as  this 
is  true  our  economic  order  does  not  make  for  spiritual 
ends  or  life;  yet  in  the  very  nature  of  human  destiny 
this  purpose  must  be  achieved. 

V.    Radicalism  and  Reform 

The  hardships  of  the  laboring  man  have  developed 
two  definite  lines  of  thought:  first,  a  radical  attitude 
toward  the  present  order;  and  second,  distrust  of  and 
opposition  to  the  Christian  church.  Radical  economic 
thought  expresses  itself  in  the  socialist  and  single  tax 
movements,  and  political  revolution  in  violence  and 
anarchism.  Many  men  violently  attack  the  existing 
economic  system  and  clutch  wildly  at  impossible  doc- 
trines without  the  slightest  mental  grasp  of  their  true 
significance. 

i.    Socialism 

Socialism  stands  for  the  elimination  of  private  capi- 
tal and  for  a  socially  determined  basis  for  the  dis- 
tribution of  income.  A  gradual  increase  has  occurred 
in  the  number  of  self-styled  socialists,  and  in  1912 
the  total  socialist  vote  cast  in  St.  Louis  was  over 
9,000.  Although  there  are  exceptions,  the  greater  part 
of  the  socialists  is  recruited  from  the  laboring  classes, 
and  especially  from  the  foreign  element.  The  single 


88  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

taxers  would  abolish  the  tax  on  improvements  and 
limit  taxes  to  land  values,  with  the  purpose  of  appro- 
priating to  the  public  the  values  which  it  Has  created 
and  which  the  individuals  now  profiting  thereby  have 
not  earned. 

2.  Anarchism 

The  most  radical  movement  takes  the  form  of  an- 
archism, which  objects  to  private  property  and  to 
government  and  considers  both  as  instruments  of  op- 
pression. That  wealth  and  economic  power  have 
frequently  exerted  themselves  in  unchristian  ways, 
have  robbed  labor  of  its  deserts,  and  have  brutally 
created  poverty  is  well  known.  As  a  parallel  to  this 
method,  but  from  the  side  of  labor,  has  developed  a 
plan  of  violence  fostered  by  the  Industrial  Workers 
of  the  World.  This  group  is  extreme  in  thought  and 
action,  and  uses  violence,  especially  in  subtle  ways,  to 
compel  submission  to  the  demands  of  labor. 

3.  Social  Platform  of  the  Federal  Council 

Opposition  to  the  Christian  churches  comes  partly 
from  the  teaching  of  pronounced  opponents  of  Chris- 
tianity and  partly  from  the  belief  that  the  church  is 
an  instrument  of  the  privileged  classes.  Many  la- 
borers revere  the  man  Jesus  or  even  think  of  him  as 
God,  but  do  not  believe  that  the  church  which  claims 
Jesus  the  Christ  as  its  head  is  true  to  its  Lord.  If  it 
were,  why  do  respectable  church-members  exploit  child 
labor,  pay  low  wages,  overwork  women,  and  foster 
sweatshops?  By  confusing  the  purpose  of  the  church 
with  the  actual  life  of  many  church-members  they 
develop  a  biased  point  of  view  which  ripens  into  oppo- 


INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS  89 

sition  to  the  church  itself.  Although  misguided  in 
part,  and  also  unwilling  to  credit  the  church  with  the 
benevolent  spirit  that  it  has  evidenced,  they  are  not 
entirely  wrong.  The  church  has  not  exerted  itself  to 
the  utmost  to  bring  about  conditions  of  life  that  con- 
duce to  spiritual  development,  and  it  has  allowed  selfish 
and  unwholesome  men  to  gain  remarkable  power  in  its 
councils.  The  laborer  is  both  right  and  wrong;  and 
the  church  must  work  out  the  eternal  purpose  of  God 
or  it  cannot  win  the  laboring  man.  Happily  it  has 
been  making  history  in  recent  years  through  its  en- 
deavor to  gain  a  clear  vision  of  its  social  mission. 
How  fully  it  recognizes  the  inevitable  reaction  of  so- 
cial conditions  on  the  spiritual  outlook  of  man  is  evi- 
dent in  the  following  platform  adopted  by  the  Federal 
Council  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in  America  in  1912. 
Nearly  all  of  the  planks  relate  to  industrial  problems, 
but  the  entire  platform  is  presented  below. 
The  churches  must  stand : 

1.  For  equal  rights  and  complete  justice  for  all 

men  in  all  stations  of  life. 

2.  For  the  protection  of  the  family  by  the  single 

standard  of  purity,  uniform  divorce  laws, 
proper  regulation  of  marriage,  and  proper 
housing. 

3.  For  the  fullest  possible  development  for  every 

child,  especially  by  the  provision  of  proper 
education  and  recreation. 

4.  For  the  abolition  of  child  labor. 

5.  For  such  regulation  of  the  conditions  of  toil  for 

women  as  shall  safeguard  the  physical  and 
moral  health  of  the  community. 

6.  For  the  abatement  and  prevention  of  poverty. 


go  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

7.  For  the  protection  of  the  individual  and  society 

from  the  social,  economic,  and  moral  waste  of 
the  liquor  traffic. 

8.  For  the  conservation  of  health. 

9.  For  the  protection  of  the  worker  from  danger- 

ous machinery,  occupational  diseases,  and 
mortality. 

10.  For  the  right  of  all  men  to  the  opportunity  of 

self-maintenance,  for  safeguarding  this  right 
against  encroachments  of  every  kind,  and  for 
the  protection  of  workers  from  the  hardships 
of  enforced  unemployment. 

11.  For  the  suitable  provision  for  the  old  age  of 

the  workers  and  for  those  incapacitated  by 
injury. 

12.  For  the  right  of  employees  and  employers  alike 

to  organize  for  adequate  means  of  conciliation 
and  arbitration  in  industrial  disputes. 

13.  For   a   release   from   employment   one   day   in 

seven. 

14.  For  the  gradual  and  reasonable   reduction   of 

the  hours  of  labor  to  the  lowest  practicable 
point,  and  for  that  degree  of  leisure  for  all 
which  is  a  condition  of  the  highest  human  life. 

15.  For  a  living  wage  as  a  minimum  in  every  indus- 

try and  for  the  highest  wages  that  each  in- 
dustry can  afford. 

1 6.  For    a  new  emphasis  upon  the  application  of 

Christian  principles  to  the  acquisition  and  use 
of  property,  and  for  the  most  equitable  divi- 
sion of  the  product  of  industry  that  can  ulti- 
mately be  devised. 
A  platform,  however,  is  meaningless  unless  efforts 


INDUSTRIAL  PROBLEMS  91 

are  made  to  give  it  vitality,  and  that  is  precisely  the 
duty  that  faces  the  church.  It  must  master  the  indus- 
trial problem.  It  must  spiritualize  both  capital  and 
labor,  and  to  spiritualize  capital  means  to  touch  the 
holders  of  capital.  It  must  inspire  men  to  a  recogni- 
tion of  the  spark  of  divinity  in  each  of  us  and  to  a 
desire  for  human  brotherhood.  The  Christian  spirit 
is  not  present  in  men  who  do  not  desire  justice  for  all 
and  who  do  not  attempt  to  eliminate  such  evils  as 
poverty,  injustice,  and  lack  of  opportunity.  But  the 
Christian  spirit  stops  not  here,  for  it  is  not  mere  cold 
justice  that  Christ  desired.  He  asked  for  love — love 
that  transcends  justice,  that  is  more  than  justice,  and 
that  binds  men  together  into  a  bond  of  human  brother- 
hood. 


IV. 

EDUCATION 

It  is  difficult  to  overestimate  the  spiritual  value  of 
popular  education.  Compare  the  United  States  with 
the  relatively  illiterate  countries  of  southeastern  Eu- 
rope or  of  South  America,  consider  our  superiority  in 
nearly  every  way,  and  a  partial  answer  is  made.  Crime, 
vice,  poverty,  and  defectiveness  abound  in  unparalleled 
quantity  wherever  high  educational  development  is 
lacking.  Let  us  then  protect  and  advance  popular  edu- 
cation, for  in  this  way  we  help  to  make  ours  a  better 
and  happier  country  in  which  to  live. 

I.    The  'Educational  System 
i.    Number  of  School  Children 

According  to  the  6ist  Annual  Report  of  the  Board 
of  Education,  St.  Louis  in  1914  had  159,285  children 
between  six  and  twenty  years  of  age;  they  comprise 
the  school  population  of  the  city  and  are  about  21.4 
per  cent,  of  the  total  population.  It  is  for  this  group 
that  the  day  schools  are  organized  and  developed.  The 
compulsory  education  law  does  not  cover  the  entire 
number,  but  applies  only  to  children  from  eight  to 
fourteen  years  of  age,  except  those  too  poor  to  obtain 
suitable  clothing,  and  to  those  children  from  fourteen 
to  sixteen  who  are  not  regularly  employed  at  least  six 
hours  per  day.  The  actual  enrolment  is  considerably 
less  than  the  school  population,  the  day  pupils  num- 

93 


94  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

bering  about  100,000  children,  more  than  nine  tenths 
of  whom  are  in  the  elementary  schools.  About  seventy 
per  cent,  of  the  entire  school  population  are  enrolled 
for  either  the  day  or  the  night  school  classes.  That 
the  public  school  has  a  tremendous  opportunity  is, 
therefore,  at  once  apparent. 

Many  children  attend  parochial  schools.  There  are 
eighty  of  these  conducted  by  the  Roman  Catholics, 
with  an  enrolment  of  nearly  25,000.  In  ten  years 
the  number  of  these  schools  has  risen  from  fifty-four, 
or  an  increase  of  twenty-six.  The  enrolment  during 
this  time  has  increased  thirty-six  per  cent.,  represent- 
ing 6,561  pupils.  The  Lutheran  church  maintains 
twenty  parochial  schools,  with  a  registration  of  about 
2,000  children.  The  private  schools,  for  which  data 
were  not  obtained,  are  not  numerous,  but  their  enrol- 
ment will  swell  the  total  number  of  pupils  by  a  not 
inconsiderable  sum.  The  day  pupils  enrolled  in  public 
and  parochial  schools  number  more  than  125,000,  or 
eighty  per  cent,  of  the  entire  school  population.  Be- 
sides these  there  are  the  children  attending  evening 
classes. 

2.    Regularity  of  Attendance 

It  is  one  thing  to  register  as  a  pupil,  but  another  to 
attend  school.  Success  in  education  requires  constant 
attendance.  The  full  school  year  in  St.  Louis  consists 
of  200  days;  investigation  snowed  that  only  one  out 
of  sixteen  children  attended  every  day.  Nearly  three 
fourths  came  150  days  or  more.  It  is  not  those  who 
come  but  those  who  stay  away  that  are  the  subjects 
of  concern.  Absence  burdens  the  pupil  with  two  prin- 
cipal disadvantages;  he  loses  his  day's  work  and  also 


EDUCATION  95 

the  connection  between  the  daily  recitations,  and  there- 
fore fails  when  he  does  attend.  For  this  reason  irreg- 
ular attendance  has  a  cumulative  effect.  One  out  of 
every  six  day-pupils  attended  less  than  one  half  of 
the  time.  From  this  group  especially  come  the  ill- 
trained,  semi-illiterate  men  who  are  only  too  common 
and  who  turn  out  to  be  economic  and  moral  failures. 
While  a  constantly  increasing  attendance  has  marked 
the  history  of  recent  years,  much  yet  remains  to  be 
done. 

Irregular  attendance  produces  the  most  unfortunate 
results,  among  which  are  failure  to  advance  normally, 
leaving  school  before  finishing  the  elementary  grades, 
and  the  development  of  habits  of  irregularity  which 
injure  the  morals  of  children  as  well  as  their  capacity 
for  work.  It  appears  that  although  there  are  more 
than  10,000  children  in  the  first  grade,  this  number 
has  been  almost  exactly  cut  in  two  in  the  eighth  and 
for  the  graduates.  The  chief  explanation  of  the 
smaller  number  in  the  upper  grades  is  the  deaths  that 
occur,  sickness,  and  the  retardation  due  to  irremedi- 
able defectiveness.  Other  causes,  such  as  the  gradual 
dropping  out  of  pupils,  losses  from  transfer,  and  un- 
necessary absence,  are  not  inherent  and  must  eventu- 
ally be  prevented.  The  gain  made  by  the  schools  in 
fifteen  years  is  indicated  from  the  figures  presented  by 
the  Board  of  Education,  according  to  which  in  1900 
only  fourteen  per  cent,  of  the  children  entering  the 
second  grade  remained  to  the  eighth;  in  1915,  forty- 
seven  per  cent.,  or  nearly  one  half.  This  wonderful 
improvement  indicates  possibilities  that  are  not  yet 
exhausted.  In  spite  of  progress  approximately  one 
half  of  the  children  in  the  public  schools  do  not  finish 


-;6  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

the  elementary  grades.  The  children  receiving  work 
certificates  indicated  an  average  grade  standing  of 
6.9.  It  is  evident  that  more  drop  out  while  in  the 
sixth  or  seventh  grade  than  in  any  other,  but  a 
large  number  is  still  left  in  the  fourth  and  fifth 
grades;  and  the  education  which  they  have  re- 
ceived merely  saves  them  from  the  classification  "  il- 
literate," without  giving  them  any  practical  and  worth- 
while advantages.  Too  many  of  the  boys  and  girls 
leaving  school  lack  the  ability  to  make  reading  a  pleas- 
ure, and  as  a  consequence  they  do  not  get  into  touch 
with  the  problem  of  living  and  of  citizenship  in  a  vital 
manner.  Unless  they  have  supplemented  their  train- 
ing with  evening  school  or  business  college  training 
they  are  incapable  of  clerical  occupations  and  must 
remain  in  the  class  of  unskilled  manual  labor,  with 
poverty  constantly  facing  them. 

An  important  result  of  irregular  school  attendance 
and  truancy  is  moral  delinquency.  Any  irregularity 
develops  bad  habits,  and  these  soon  ripen  into  open 
offense  against  the  law.  Truancy  means  retardation; 
the  latter  causes  dissatisfaction,  which  in  turn  spells 
truancy.  Although  it  causes  delinquency,  truancy  is 
also  a  result  of  delinquency.  Many  of  the  children 
brought  to  court  are  charged  with  truancy,  while  a 
large  number,  perhaps  a  majority  of  those  under  four- 
teen, charged  with  other  offenses,  are  either  truants 
or  irregular  in  school  attendance.  The  uncontrolled 
leisure  of  boys  in  the  large  cities  is  a  most  injurious 
condition,  for  idleness  in  the  congested  districts  leads 
to  immoral  habits. 


EDUCATION  97 

3.    Special  Schools 

Education  is  preparation  for  life  and  training  for 
effective  service  in  society.  Although  the  schools  must 
endeavor  to  meet  the  needs  of  every  class,  their  chief 
concern  is  the  normal  children  of  the  community.  The 
great  majority  belong  to  this  class;  nevertheless  a  con- 
siderable number  are  retarded — that  is,  are  one  or 
more  years  behind  the  normal  grade.  For  such,  indi- 
vidual treatment  in  the  regular  schools  or  special 
classes  of  instruction  are  needed. 

St.  Louis  has  102  public  elementary  schools,  nine 
of  which  are  for  colored  children.  It  also  conducts 
twelve  special  schools  for  backward  children,  one  for 
the  deaf,  and  two  open-air  schools  for  anemic  chil- 
dren. Besides  these  it  carries  on  educational  work 
in  the  Industrial  School  and  has  a  boys'  truant  class 
to  take  care  of  certain  children  of  irregular  habits. 
In  other  words,  the  city  makes  provision  for  the  edu- 
cation of  normal  children,  the  backward,  deaf,  delin- 
quent, anemic,  and  truant. 

The  training  and  education  of  the  special  groups 
is  an  important  consideration,  since  they  fall  most 
easily  into  misery  and  poverty.  The  public  school  is 
a  great  social  agency  engaged  in  preventive  and  con- 
structive work  with  the  great  mass  of  children,  but 
it  cannot  neglect  the  unfortunate  and  subnormal 
classes.  These,  however,  are  the  latest  to  receive  at- 
tention, and  provision  for  them  advances  more  slowly. 
The  elementary  schools  are  supplemented  by  six  public 
high  schools  (one  for  colored  students)  and  a  teachers' 
college.  In  addition  there  are  twenty-four  evening 
schools,  five  of  which  are  for  the  colored  people.  Of 
the  entire  number,  nineteen  are  of  elementary  and  five 


98  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

of  high  school  grade.  These  schools  accommodate 
persons  employed  during  the  day  who  seek  a  practical 
education.  In  1914-15  the  evening  high  schools  en- 
rolled over  13,000  persons,  whose  average  age  was 
twenty-two  years'. 

Deaf  children  are  brought  together  in  one  school 
where  both  the  sign  language  and  lip  reading  are 
taught.  The  work  of  the  public  school  is  ably  supple- 
mented by  a  Catholic  school  for  the  deaf  and  by  an- 
other private  institution. 

4.    Illiteracy 

Illiteracy  is  everywhere  an  undesirable  condition 
and  usually  means  degradation,  economic  and  mental, 
and  often  moral  as  well.  We  have  an  illiterate  popu- 
lation comprising  3.2  per  cent,  of  the  persons  ten  years 
of  age  or  over.  In  1910  there  were  over  21,000  in  this 
group,  and  it  has  probably  increased  since  then.  Few 
of  the  native  whites  are  illiterate,  but  the  number 
among  the  foreign-born  population  is  considerable, 
although  the  proportions  are  highest  among  the  ne- 
groes. Very  few  of  the  young  men  and  young  women 
in  the  city  are  completely  deprived  of  education. 
Even  among  the  colored  the  proportion  of  illiterates 
has  rapidly  declined.  Among  the  immigrants,  how- 
ever, this  condition  does  not  hold  and  persons  of  all 
ages  are  illiterate.  Lack  of  facilities  abroad  has  handi- 
capped both  old  and  young,  and  on  coming  to  America 
they  lack  either  the  ambition  or  the  opportunity  to 
gain  a  regular  school  education.  It  is  for  these  groups 
that  the  evening  schools  and  the  classes  conducted  by 
settlements  and  other  agencies  are  carried  on.  An 
army  of  over  21,000  illiterates  imposes  on  St.  Louis 


EDUCATION  99 

an  important  moral  and  social  problem.  It  is  not  pos- 
sible for  an  illiterate  man  to  carry  on  his  civic  duties 
wisely  and  well;  but  if  he  is  not  a  voter  his  economic 
handicaps  still  remain.  The  home  cannot  afford  illit- 
erate parents  these  days,  since  lower  wages,  lack  of 
parental  authority,  and  juvenile  delinquency  are  among 
the  definite  results.  The  church  cannot  afford  to  allow 
a  condition  of  illiteracy  to  exist,  because  it  means 
moral  and  religious  stagnation  as  well  as  social  and 
economic  enslavement. 

5.    Manual  Training  and  Domestic  Science 

The  service  of  the  school  to  society  may  conven- 
iently be  thought  of  under  the  heads  of  educational, 
physical,  and  moral.  Formerly  the  educational  was 
considered  the  chief  aim,  but  its  relation  to  the  physical 
has  become  so  apparent  that  the  latter  can  no  longer 
be  neglected.  The  regular  course  of  study  includes 
the  branches  commonly  taught  everywhere,  also  music, 
calisthenics,  and  ethics.  Furthermore,  manual  train- 
ing is  taught  in  some  form  in  the  first  three  and  the 
last  two  grades,  and  domestic  science  has  a  place  in 
the  seventh  and  eighth  grades.  The  high  schools,  be- 
sides providing  the  usual  courses  covering  four  years 
of  work,  offer  two-year  courses  in  manual  training, 
domestic  art  and  science,  and  commerce  and  business. 
A  one-year  course  in  the  last-named  subject  is  also 
offered. 

There  is  considerable  significance  in  this  develop- 
ment which  indicates  a  real  effort  to  meet  modern 
needs  in  education.  In  one  elementary  school  hand- 
work has  proved  itself  of  the  greatest  advantage  and 
interest  to  the  pupils,  and  as  a  consequence  the  girls 


ioo  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

of  the  graduating  class  not  only  could  but  did  make 
their  own  graduating  dresses.  The  teaching  of  cook- 
ing has  been  carried  on  with  a  degree  of  success,  espe- 
cially in  the  high  schools.  But  the  great  majority — 
nine  tenths — of  the  girls  never  enter  high  school  and 
must  be  reached  in  the  grades  if  at  all.  Here,  then, 
we  find  a  special  need  for  an  efficient  course.  Its 
meaning  for  the  preservation  of  the  family,  for  the 
care  of  children,  the  decline  of  intemperance,  and  the 
promotion  of  morality  is  so  clear  that  every  effort 
to  train  girls  for  the  duties  and  functions  which  more 
than  ninety  per  cent,  will  later  perform  has  its  com- 
pensation in  better  homes  and  greater  happiness. 

The  manual  training  exercises  also  occupy  an  im- 
portant place.  The  extent  of  this  training  in  the 
grades  is  indicated  by  the  successful  printing  done  in 
a  number  of  the  schools.  The  work  in  the  high  schools 
is  much  more  advanced,  while  the  evening  schools 
conduct  extensive  industrial  training  features.  Greater 
facilities  for  trade  education  are  needed  in  this  city, 
and,  although  an  excellent  private  institution  is  fur- 
nishing such  training,  a  serious  question  arises  whether 
the  public  schools  should  not  provide  some  such  train- 
ing in  a  special  trade  school. 

6.    Clinic 

The  psychopathic  clinic  conducted  by  the  school 
board  distinguishes  the  backward  and  feeble-minded 
children  from  the  rest  and  suggests  the  plan  of  treat- 
ment and  education.  Some  children  are  recommended 
to  the  state  colony  for  feeble-minded,  others  are  sent 
to  special  schools  where  they  obtain  individual  instruc- 
tion in  ungraded  classes,  while  still  others  are  returned 


EDUCATION  101 

to  the  regular  grades  with  appropriate  recommenda- 
tions. 

7.    Physical  Care 

In  all  the  schools  exercises  in  calisthenics  are  given 
to  the  pupils,  and  in  about  one  fifth  posture  tests  are 
also  given.  These  are  of  great  value  in  promoting 
health  and  good  habits.  The  majority  of  schools  have 
playground  rooms  used  during  the  school  hours,  and 
carry  on  after-school  activities,  such  as  basket-ball, 
volley-ball,  etc.  To  some  extent  these  games  are  su- 
pervised. Fifteen  district  schools  are  equipped  with 
gymnasiums  and  fourteen  more  have  suitable  rooms 
but  lack  the  apparatus.  A  number  have  shower  baths 
for  both  boys  and  girls.  Athletics,  physical  exercises, 
and  games  are  gradually  being  recognized  as  an  essen- 
tial part  of  the  training  of  every  child.  Not  only  do 
they  develop  strength  and  promote  sound  physical  con- 
dition but  they  react  favorably  on  the  mind  and  morals 
of  the  child. 

Physical  Examination.  The  Department  of  Hy- 
giene, with  its  force  of  twenty  nurses  and  eleven  in- 
spectors, practically  covers  the  city  for  routine  physical 
examination  of  children.  The  magnitude  of  the  work 
is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  in  one  year  over  6,000 
cases  of  non-communicable  and  3,000  cases  of  com- 
municable diseases  were  detected  and  73,000  cases  of 
physical  defect  were  noted,  an  average  of  practically 
one  defect  per  pupil.  Defective  teeth,  defective  eye- 
sight, enlarged  tonsils  and  adenoids — these  were  the 
principal  abnormalities  discovered.  The  parents  were 
notified  of  the  defects  and  urged  to  have  them  cor- 
rected, but  the  aid  of  philanthropy  was  also  gained. 


102  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

The  relation  between  physical  defects  and  retardation, 
behavior,  and  general  health  are  so  close  that  the 
value  of  a  sound  body  in  the  promotion  of  mind  and 
morals  can  no  longer  be  questioned.  The  need  of 
physical  care  is  further  emphasized  by  the  establish- 
ment of  open-air  schools  accommodating  about 
175  weak  and  anemic  children  or  those  in  danger 
of  contracting  tuberculosis.  After  admission  they  are 
given  a  routine  of  care  which  usually  restores  them 
to  health.  The  food  consumed  is  paid  for  by  the  local 
antituberculosis  society.  A  great  need  of  all  schools 
is  the  best  system  of  ventilation,  open-air  rooms,  and 
a  certain  amount  of  outdoor  class  work  and  exercises. 

8.    Character  Development 

Next  to  the  home  the  public  school  is  the  great  insti- 
tution of  child  nurture.  It  has  a  profound  effect  on 
the  morals  of  our  children,  owing  to  the  influence  of 
teachers,  the  character-forming  power  of  routine  and 
discipline,  the  cultural  effects  of  many  of  its  contacts, 
and  the  direct  teaching  of  morality  and  ethics. 

The  Teacher.  First  in  importance  is  the  charac- 
ter of  the  teachers.  Their  unconscious  influence  on 
pupils  through  their  proper  deportment,  in  class  and 
out,  is  incommensurable.  Not  direct  precept  but  life 
and  conduct  are  the  great  character  determiners.  No 
greater  task  falls  on  the  school  board  than  the  selec- 
tion of  that  noble  group  of  over  2,000  men  and  women 
who  serve  as  patterns  for  the  school  child.  Not  nar- 
row denominationalism,  but  a  broad  and  tolerant  out- 
look on  life,  supplemented  by  nobility  of  purpose,  will 
achieve  the  best  results. 

Ethical  Instruction.     Ethical    instruction    has    a 


EDUCATION  103 

place  in  the  curriculum  of  the  schools  once  a  week,  and 
in  some  schools  in  the  higher  grades  improvement 
clubs  have  been  organized  to  continue  the  work  of 
moral  training.  Among  the  objects  attempted  are :  to 
apply  ethical  rules,  to  improve  conduct  within  and 
without  the  school,  and  to  develop  better  citizens.  The 
formal  work  in  this  field  is  comparatively  limited  and 
room  for  its  expansion  may  indeed  be  found.  In  some 
schools  the  work  is  practically  neglected.  The  Bible 
is  not  read  in  the  public  schools,  but  is  not  forbidden. 
Mere  reading,  however,  has  a  limited  value,  and  un- 
less there  is  instruction  and  a  chance  to  apply  it  little 
gain  is  to  be  expected.  Indirectly,  through  story-tell- 
ing and  the  study  of  history,  moral  lessons  of  great 
value  may  be  inculcated  if  the  subject  is  handled  ju- 
diciously. 

Training  of  Delinquents.  The  school  board  is 
directly  concerned  with  two  groups  of  delinquent  chil- 
dren. The  educational  work  in  the  Industrial  School 
is  conducted  by  the  board.  Here  the  chief  problem  is 
instruction  and  training  that  will  fit  not  only  for  gain- 
ing a  livelihood  but  that  will  first  develop  character. 
An  adapted  course  is  therefore  offered.  The  boys' 
truant  class  assembles  boys  from  various  parts  of  the 
city  and  attempts  to  build  up  their  morals.  Manual 
training  is  emphasized,  other  adaptations  are  made, 
and  the  boys  are  fitted  to  return  to  their  regular  grades. 
Day  truant  classes  have  developed  much  more  in  some 
other  cities  than  here,  and  much  could  be  accomplished 
for  a  higher  standard  of  morals  among  our  children 
if  more  classes  of  this  variety  were  afforded.  The 
contaminating  elements  of  the  school  population  would 
be  temporarily  segregated  and  only  when  fit  to  return 


104  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

to  their  erstwhile  companions  would  they  be  sent  back. 
Attendance  Department.  A  potential  moral  force 
is  the  attendance  department.  Its  chief  duties  are  to 
prevent  truancy  and  irregular  attendance  and  to  issue 
employment  certificates.  The  first  of  these  duties  con- 
cerns us  here.  Truancy  and  irregularity  are  both 
causes  and  effects,  to  be  handled  accordingly.  This 
department  is  the  most  specialized  social  service  arm 
of  the  schools.  It  is  not  a  police  force  for  children, 
but  a  rehabilitating  agency  aiming  to  improve  and  cor- 
rect the  conditions  that  lead  to  irregular  school  attend- 
ance. In  so  far  as  the  causes  lie  outside  of  the  school, 
it  can  accomplish  much  by  removing  unfavorable  con- 
ditions, but  causes  within  depend  on  the  board  directly. 
Sometimes  the  trouble  is  with  the  child,  again  with 
its  parents,  or  with  a  congenial  but  debasing  environ- 
ment of  street  or  alley.  Cooperation  with  the  Juvenile 
Court  and  charitable  and  social  agencies  simplifies  the 
problems  and  makes  beneficent  results  possible. 

9.    Promotion  of  Democracy 

The  public  school  is  the  great  modern  engine  of 
democracy.  Religion  needs  the  leaven  of  democracy, 
and  is  itself  a  promoter  of  democracy,  which  in  its 
pure  form  is  quite  akin  to  the  brotherhood  of  man — 
the  chief  human  goal  of  religion.  It  is  here  that  all 
classes  may  meet,  cooperate,  and  learn  of  the  funda- 
mental humanness  of  every  individual.  Here  children 
of  different  classes  and  circumstances  constantly  touch 
each  other  and,  under  the  direction  of  noble  teachers, 
appreciate  the  good  qualities  in  each.  Here,  too,  the 
aristocracy  of  clothes  gives  way  to  the  aristocracy  of 
brains.  Cliques  may  be  formed,  but  they  are  contrary 


EDUCATION  105 

to  the  spirit  of  the  school,  whose  natural  fruit  is  tol- 
eration, cooperation,  democracy. 

10.    Secondary  Education 

The  secondary  education  provided  is  important  and 
it  gives  us  our  leaders.  Our  high  schools  enroll  about 
10,000  boys  and  girls  and  train  them  according  to  their 
educational  ideals.  A  large  majority  of  the  students 
are  girls,  a  fact  which  indicates  that  many  boys  after 
finishing  the  grades  at  once  enter  the  industrial  field. 
Perhaps  the  failure  of  the  boys  to  continue  their  edu- 
cation is  a  significant  evil  of  the  day.  The  Roman 
Catholic  high  schools  and  convents  are  a  part  of  the 
educational  chain  of  the  work  of  that  church.  In  ad- 
dition we  have  academies  and  private  schools  of  va- 
rious kinds.  Beyond  the  high  schools  are  the  colleges 
and  universities,  of  which  St.  Louis  and  Washington 
Universities  are  the  chief  representatives,  the  former 
a  Catholic  institution,  the  latter  non-denominational. 
These  and  lesser  institutions  give  abundant  opportu- 
nity for  the  higher  education  of  our  young  men  and 
women,  and  also  bring  this  opportunity  within  the 
reach  of  a  large  proportion  of  our  high  school  grad- 
uates. It  is  here  that  the  Protestant  churches  have 
recognized  a  need.  Higher  education  under  good  re- 
ligious influences  is  strongly  approved.  Here  the  im- 
portance of  an  opportune  environment  is  recognized 
even  by  the  religious  standpatter  who  does  not  under- 
stand or  favor  social  service.  Accordingly  a  number 
of  colleges  have  been  supported,  which  in  most  cases, 
however,  are  situated  outside  the  city  limits.  Our 
college  men  and  women  are  the  leaders  in  religion,  edu- 
cation, and  social  service. 


io6  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

//.    Special  Educational  Agencies 
i.    The  Public  Library 

In  addition  to  the  schools  there  are  several  other 
educational  agencies,  among  which  the  library  is  one. 
Our  splendid  public  library  has  seven  branches  and 
operates  seventy-six  delivery  and  deposit  stations,  be- 
sides placing  books  on  deposit  in  forty-five  schools. 
The  newspaper  and  open-shelf  rooms  offer  opportuni- 
ties to  all  readers,  while  the  home  issues  have  reached 
a  stupendous  figure.  The  children's  department 
through  its  various  branches  is  circulating  good  books 
among  the  children  and  through  its  story  hours  it 
touches  them  directly.  Books  have  been  issued  at  fif- 
teen playgrounds,  and  the  story  hour  has  been  carried 
to  even  more.  The  branch  libraries  have  specialized 
in  books  and  languages  required  by  the  various  com- 
munities and  thus  opened  the  way  for  the  booklover 
of  every  race.  The  Municipal  Branch  serves  the  va- 
rious groups  of  public  officials  and  constantly  collects 
valuable  information  on  social  and  civic  subjects.  The 
traveling  library  department  sends  thousands  of  books 
to  the  different  stations,  especially  large  numbers  going 
to  the  City  Hospital  and  to  schools  serving  as  social 
centers.  The  pictures  and  maps  exhibited  and  the  lan- 
tern slides  circulated  are  interesting  features  of  the 
work,  and  an  impetus  is  thus  given  to  the  study  and 
appreciation  of  art.  The  halls,  clubrooms,  and  meet- 
ing-places in  the  various  buildings  are  constantly  used 
by  clubs,  organizations,  and  informal  groups.  Of  the 
books  taken  from  the  different  libraries  by  readers 
nearly  fifty-nine  per  cent,  are  fiction,  while  the  remain- 
der are  scattered  among  many  classes — children's  non- 


EDUCATION  107 

fiction,  fairy  tales,  history,  and  sociology  coming  in  the 
order  named.  The  home  issue  numbers  more  than 
two  books  for  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  St. 
Louis.  More  than  100,000  library  cards  are  held  by 
the  people  of  the  city.  The  opportunity  of  the  library 
to  improve  the  standard  of  our  citizens  is  therefore  at 
once  apparent. 

2.  The  Art  Museum 

The  education  of  St.  Louis  through  the  museum 
has  made  little  progress.  The  Art  Museum  has  been 
removed  from  a  downtown  location  to  Forest  Park, 
where  it  is  quite  inaccessible  to  the  mass  of  citizens, 
being  far  from  the  center  of  population  as  well  as 
lacking  good  transportation  facilities.  The  exhibit 
in  paintings  and  sculpture  is  good  and  a  splendid  col- 
lection of  relics  may  be  seen  at  the  Jefferson  Memo- 
rial. The  policy  of  the  museum  in  sending  paintings 
to  the  public  libraries  for  temporary  exhibit  and  pro- 
viding for  the  discussion  of  some  of  them  with  the 
children  is  highly  commendable,  as  is  every  other  at- 
tempt at  museum  extension.  The  noblest  in  art  of 
every  form  should  be  made  accessible  to  the  people 
and  become  a  source  of  inspiration  and  culture. 

3.  The  Press 

In  a  sense  the  newspaper  can  also  be  regarded  as 
an  educational  agency.  It  furnishes  information  and 
advocates  certain  principles  and  policies;  nevertheless 
its  educational  program  is  not  of  a  general  nature.  To 
begin  with,  the  St.  Louis  newspapers  reflect  local  pub- 
lic opinion  rather  than  mold  it.  They  are  mouthpieces 
rather  than  pathfinders.  Some  principles,  however, 


io8  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

are  tenaciously  advocated,  and  in  so  far  as  their  reali- 
zation is  desirable  the  work  may  be  considered  educa- 
tional. Some  excellent  service  has  been  performed  in 
unearthing  governmental  abuses  and  in  promoting  re- 
form, some  also  in  eliminating  undesirable  politicians; 
but  a  consistently  progressive  attitude  along  every  line 
is  perhaps  too  much  to  expect.  If,  however,  our  social 
and  moral  program  received  the  aggressive  support 
of  our  papers  at  all  times,  a  great  advance  would  be 
made. 

4.   The  Missouri  School  of  Social  Economy 

A  valuable  form  of  training  is  that  of  preparing 
individuals  for  public  and  social  service  in  order  to 
produce  efficiency  among  this  important  group  of  lead- 
ers. So  far  but  little  has  been  attempted  for  public 
service  apart  from  those  forms  included  under  social 
service.  The  majority  of  important  public  positions 
are  filled  by  direct  personal  appointment,  but  a  grow- 
ing number  must  be  selected  from  eligible  lists  pre- 
pared by  the  efficiency  board.  Among  these  is  the 
social  service  group.  The  bulk  of  the  social  service 
positions,  however,  are  connected  with  private  philan- 
thropy, there  being  perhaps  about  two  hundred  of 
these  in  the  city.  If  it  is  important  for  teachers  to 
have  character  and  ideals,  it  is  even  more  important 
for  social  workers,  who  are  constantly  dealing  with 
the  weak  and  easily  tempted,  to  exercise  a  wholesome 
moral  influence.  In  fact,  the  great  task  of  those  deal- 
ing with  individuals  and  families  is  the  development 
of  character.  The  art  of  developing  character  is, 
therefore,  one  of  the  most  important  requisites  of  the 
successful  social  worker.  Opportunities  in  social  serv- 


EDUCATION  109 

ice  include  the  following  pertinent  lines  of  work: 
Charity  organization,  children's  institutions,  medical 
social  service,  probation,  attendance  officers,  settle- 
ment, social  center,  institutional  church,  employees'  or 
factory  welfare,  sanitarium,  recreation,  and  public 
welfare.  A  wonderful  chance  for  loyal,  devoted,  and 
high-minded  persons  to  do  a  genuine  service  to  human- 
ity presents  itself  here.  To  become  competent,  how- 
ever, a  person  needs  to  supplement  his  character  and 
religious  ideals — these  he  must  have — with  actual 
training.  This  should  cover  a  knowledge  of  the  meth- 
ods of  handling  families  or  individuals  in  need  of  moral 
and  economic  upbuilding,  or  of  handling  groups  of 
individuals  such  as  one  finds  in  settlements,  institu- 
tional churches,  playgrounds,  and  factories  or  stores. 
Of  course,  a  knowledge  of  the  field  and  principles  of 
applied  philanthropy  and  social  economy  is  also  neces- 
sary. St.  Louis  offers  an  opportunity  for  the  training 
of  social  workers  through  the  avenue  of  the  Missouri 
School  of  Social  Economy,  conducted  by  the  Univer- 
sity of  Missouri  and  assisted  by  a  local  board.  The 
school  is  non-denominational,  but  emphasizes  the  im- 
portance of  religious  ideals.  It  trains  workers  not 
only  for  paid  and  professional  social  service  but  also 
for  volunteer  service,  and  it  instructs  those  anxious 
to  learn  of  this  great  field  that  appeals  so  much  to 
the  sociologists  and  humanitarians.  Persons  desirous 
of  serving  humanity  need  first  to  know  of  the  prob- 
lems of  humanity  and  then  to  learn  how  to  deal  with 
them  through  direct  contact  under  trained  direction. 
The  School  of  Social  Economy  endeavors  to  meet  this 
need  and  to  give  those  attending  it  a  heart  that  surges 
with  love  for  mankind  and  a  head  and  hand  that  will 


no  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

guide  each  benevolent  impulse  aright.  Social  service 
aims  to  make  men  better.  Social  service  is  religion 
at  work. 

///.    Religious  Training  and  Instruction 
i.    Purpose  of  the  Sunday-school 

The  general  educational  work  of  the  community 
should  be  supplemented  by  that  of  the  religious  bodies. 
The  church,  the  Sunday-school,  and  other  church  or- 
ganizations all  serve  to  develop  moral  and  religious 
ideals.  For  the  children  and  young  people  the  work 
of  the  Sunday-school  is  particularly  important.  If 
the  development  of  habit  and  of  morals  is  largely  the 
outcome  of  the  first  eighteen  years  of  life,  it  is  essen- 
tial that  the  churches  reach,  hold,  and  teach  children 
during  this  period.  It  requires  an  efficient  Sunday- 
school  to  accomplish  this  end. 

The  modern  Sunday-school  has  only  begun  to  realize 
a  small  portion  of  its  wonderful  program.  Its  mission 
comprehends  at  least  three  most  important  forms  of 
service : 

First,  the  Sunday-school  rather  than  the  regular 
church  service  is  the  place  where  character  and  spir- 
itual ideals  are  formed.  The  former  catches  the  plas- 
tic child  and  develops  habits  of  virtue  and  morality; 
the  latter  can  do  but  little  with  him.  The  Sunday- 
school  builds  up,  the  church  maintains. 

Second,  the  social  vision  can  be  best  imparted  in 
the  Sunday-school,  where  young  lives,  gifted  with  un- 
selfishness, can  be  inspired  to  think  in  terms  of  hu- 
manity and  social  welfare. 

Third,  the  Sunday-school  must  lead  its  scholars  into 
the  church,  united  in  which  they  can  best  make  of 


EDUCATION  in 

themselves  a  spiritual  power  in  the  community.  The 
Sunday-school  is  the  forge  in  which  effective  Chris- 
tianity must  be  made. 

Spiritual  ideals,  character,  personal  virtue,  humani- 
tarianism,  the  desire  to  serve — these  are  qualities 
which  the  Sunday-school  must  contribute  to  our  Prot- 
estant young  people. 

2.    Present  Status  of  the  Sunday-school 

It  is  estimated  that  the  Sunday-school  membership 
in  St.  Louis  approximates  75,000.  Of  this  number 
about  sixty  per  cent,  are  less  than  eighteen  years  old, 
a  situation  which  illustrates  the  growing  conviction 
that  the  Sunday-school  is  really  the  institution  that 
lays  the  foundation  of  the  Christian  life.  In  the  old 
days  there  was  little  attempt  to  adapt  the  work  of  the 
schools  to  the  capacity  of  the  children  and  to  make  it 
bear  fruit  in  the  form  of  love  and  healthy  human 
relationships.  Wherever  these  methods  still  continue, 
there  the  unfortunate  pupils  learn  little  of  the  content 
of  true  religion,  although  they  may  become  saturated 
with  formalism  and  creed.  Even  to-day  the  Sunday- 
school  pupils  are  poorly  graded  in  the  majority  of  St. 
Louis  churches,  and  the  quality  of  instruction  suffers 
seriously  from  the  lack  of  teachers  trained  for  service 
and  with  a  vision  of  a  better  humanity.  This  condition 
runs  throughout  the  grades,  and  is  perhaps  particu- 
larly serious  among  the  senior  and  adult  classes,  in 
which  the  application  of  religion  to  personal  and  social 
life  must  be  emphasized. 

Frequently  the  opportunity  for  religious  training  is 
not  effectively  used.  This  is  true  both  in  the  smallest 
and  in  some  of  the  largest  churches  of  St.  Louis.  In 


H2  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

the  one  the  standards  are  low ;  in  the  other  the  attend- 
ance is  too  small.  The  children  of  the  rich  and  poor 
alike  need  the  beneficent  power  of  religion  to  guide 
their  lives  aright  and  to  use  their  influence  in  an  un- 
selfish manner. 

Less  than  one  half  of  the  possible  Sunday-school 
membership  is  now  enrolled  in  the  various  schools  and 
the  majority  of  the  5,600  teachers  are  in  need  of  addi- 
tional training  for  their  tasks. 

Many  young  men  and  women  are  lost  to  the  Sunday- 
school  because  the  instruction  is  inane  and  fruitless 
and  fails  to  put  into  concrete  form  the  splendid  lessons 
that  deal  with  purity,  honesty,  reverence,  unselfishness, 
and  other  needed  personal  virtues.  Others  are  dis- 
satisfied because  of  the  apparently  remote  connection 
of  the  lesson  in  the  mind  of  the  teacher  with  the  moral 
and  social  problems  that  cry  for  a  solution,  particu- 
larly when  the  gospel  message  teems  with  the  social 
spirit. 

3.    Reorganization  and  Improvement  of  Work 
Training    School   for    Sunday-school    Workers. 

In  view  of  the  great  need,  a  training  school  for  Sun- 
day-school workers  was  organized  in  1913  by  the  Mis- 
souri Sunday-school  Association  and  the  Church  Fed- 
eration. The  Evangelical  Alliance,  St.  Louis  Sunday- 
school  Association,  St.  Louis  Superintendents'  League, 
St.  Louis  Graded  Union,  Young  Men's  Christian  As- 
sociation and  Young  Women's  Christian  Association 
cooperated  in  establishing  the  school  and  in  making 
it  a  success.  It  is  now  conducted  as  a  part  of  the  work 
of  the  Department  of  Religious  Education  of  the 
Church  Federation. 


EDUCATION  H3 

The  school  holds  its  sessions  in  the  Young  Women's 
Christian  Association  building  on  Monday  evenings 
for  a  consecutive  period  of  thirty  weeks.  The  train- 
ing school  is  a  permanent  institution,  with  a  compre- 
hensive curriculum  and  strong  faculty,  and  applies 
pedagogical  principles  in  its  work.  Its  chief  purpose 
is  to  make  Sunday-school  workers  efficient,  but  in  ad- 
dition it  hopes  to  stimulate  the  organization  of  teacher 
training  classes  in  local  Sunday-schools  by  training 
leaders  for  such  work.  The  curriculum  includes 
courses  in  Bible,  pedagogy,  psychology,  Biblical  geog- 
raphy, church  history,  community  or  social  service, 
and  organization  and  management  of  the  Sunday- 
school.  There  are  classes  for  graded  work,  covering 
the  following  groups :  Beginners,  primary,  juniors, 
teen-age  girls,  teen-age  boys,  adults,  officers,  leaders 
of  parents'  classes,  and  leaders  of  training  classes. 
The  courses  cover  a  period  of  three  years,  and  the 
first  graduating  class  secured  its  diplomas  in  May, 
1916.  For  the  season  1915-16  there  were  247  students 
enrolled  from  seventy-five  different  churches.  The 
school  has  been  declared  one  of  the  best  in  the  country, 
for  it  commands  the  time  of  experts  and  presents  a 
course  of  study  based  on  modern  needs  and  recognizes 
the  principles  of  pedagogy  applied  in  the  public  schools. 
The  service  of  this  school  to  the  community  is  im- 
measurable. No  form  of  church  work  has  been  so 
slipshod,  so  incompetent  and  beside  the  mark  as  has 
that  of  the  Sunday-school,  and  probably  no  form  is  so 
full  of  meaning  and  possibilities  for  true  religion  as 
is  this.  Formal  training  will  result  in  standardized 
work  in  the  schools,  in  standard  qualifications  for 
teachers,  and  in  the  elimination  of  the  incompetent 


114  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

teachers  with  whom  the  Sunday-schools  have  hereto- 
fore been  overstocked. 

Standardization  of  Sunday-schools.  The  general 
efforts  to  improve  the  work  of  the  Sunday- 
schools  resulted  in  the  adoption  of  a  minimum 
standard  by  the  executive  committee  of  the  Interna- 
tional Sunday  School  Association  and  the  Sunday 
School  Council  of  Evangelical  Denominations  at  Day- 
ton, Ohio,  in  1913.  This  was  revised  by  the  Joint 
Committee  on  Standards  in  1916.  Some  evangelical 
denominations  have  adopted  these  standards  verbatim; 
a  few  have  included  certain  additional  requirements, 
while  several  have  adopted  independent  standards  ap- 
proximating those  given  above.  The  great  difficulty 
has  consisted  in  persuading  the  individual  churches  to 
rise  to  the  standards  set  by  their  denominations.  Sun- 
day-school work  still  has  a  long  road  to  travel  before 
it  catches  up  with  the  leaders  in  such  work,  and  these 
leaders,  though  they  are  far  in  advance  of  their  con- 
stituencies, still  need  to  do  much  more  than  heretofore 
to  develop  standards  that  make  for  character  building 
and  for  the  highest  religious  efficiency. 

The  standards  themselves  fail  to  meet  the  best  social 
ideals.  A  Sunday-school  might  be  perfect,  measured 
by  these  standards,  and  fail  utterly  to  accomplish  its 
mission.  Unless  the  lessons  of  the  Old  and  the  New 
Testament  are  applied  to  the  life  of  to-day,  and  are 
so  interpreted  as  to  transform  eager  pupils  into  vir- 
tuous, wholesome,  unselfish,  true,  and  socially-minded 
boys  and  girls,  little  good  has  been  done.  Youth  and 
adolescence  are  the  periods  of  life  when  high  ideals 
are  most  readily  accepted.  It  is  then  that  lives  can 
be  trained  so  that  they  will  assume  Christian  attitudes 


EDUCATION  115 

toward  problems  of  capital,  labor,  family,  and  govern- 
ment. 

One  of  the  most  important  steps  in  efficient  methods 
has  been  the  standardizing  of  the  grades  and  the  issu- 
ance of  thoroughly  graded  curricula  based  on  sound 
pedagogical  principles.  The  recognized  departments 
at  present  are: 

Cradle  roll,  birth  to  3  years. 

Beginners,  4  and  5  years. 

Primary,  6-7-8  years. 

Junior,  9-10-11-12  years. 

Intermediate,  13-14-15-16  years. 

Senior,  17-18-19-20  years. 

Adult,  21  and  up. 

Home  Department  (non-attendants,  any  age). 

There  are  several  courses  of  graded  lessons  issued 
independently,  but  by  far  the  largest  use  is  made  of  the 
International  Graded  Series,  handled  by  the  denomi- 
national publishing  houses.  A  number  of  Sunday- 
schools  have  begun  to  grade  their  pupils  after  the  pat- 
tern given  above. 

The  appointment  of  directors  of  religious  education 
is  another  hopeful  step.  One  such  director  conducts 
a  training  class  for  actual  and  prospective  teachers, 
supervises  the  grading  of  the  pupils,  suggests  the 
choice  of  guides  and  text-books,  and  definitely  labors 
to  promote  the  efficiency  of  the  Sunday-school  peda- 
gogically,  morally,  and  spiritually.  Unfortunately  but 
few  schools  are  equipped  in  this  way;  in  a  number  of 
schools  teachers'  training  classes  have  been  established 
and  organized  efforts  have  been  made  to  apply  peda- 
gogical principles.  Furthermore,  the  Missouri  and  St. 
Louis  Sunday  School  Associations  are  both  actively  en- 


Ii6  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

gaged  in  developing  higher  standards  among  the  local 
organizations. 

The  Widening  Field  of  Instruction.  There  are 
other  signs  of  progress.  In  one  Sunday-school  class 
the  community  life  that  touches  our  moral  and  spir- 
itual welfare  is  studied  from  week  to  week.  In  an- 
other, every  fourth  lesson  is  devoted  to  the  social  as- 
pects of  Christianity.  All  of  the  older  classes  in  one 
Sunday-school  engage  in  some  definite  form  of  Chris- 
tian social  service  requiring  either  individual  or  col- 
lective action  and  bringing  the  members  in  personal 
touch  with  conditions  that  promote  feelings  of  charity, 
love,  and  unselfishness.  This  slight  beginning  in  har- 
nessing the  spiritual  energy  of  eager  men  and  women 
and  directing  it  against  organized  evil  in  the  world  can- 
not be  too  highly  commended,  but  there  are  more  than 
two  hundred  schools  in  our  St.  Louis  churches  that 
must  get  this  idea. 

Again,  there  is  a  growing  tendency  to  widen  the 
scope  of  religious  education  through  the  selection  of 
topics  for  study  such  as  the  following:  the  social 
teachings  of  Jesus,  history  of  the  Reformation,  mod- 
ern religious  leaders,  and  practical  ethics — subjects  that 
assist  not  only  in  interpreting  the  religious  movements 
of  recent  times  but  also  in  awakening  men  to  the  grave 
needs  of  the  hour. 

And  why  not?  The  Sunday-school  owes  its  pupils 
the  duty  of  instructing  them  against  the  sins  of  intem- 
perance, vice,  sex  immorality,  disrespect  for  women, 
lying,  dishonesty,  shiftlessness,  and  other  weaknesses 
— each  of  which  not  only  injures  personal  character 
but  inflicts  harm  on  the  community  as  well. 

The   Sunday-school  must  train  in  cooperation,  in 


EDUCATION  117 

worship,  and  worshipfulness.  It  must  inspire  to  love 
for  fellow-man,  it  must  contribute  to  the  upbuilding 
of  a  church  membership  that  will  insist  on  using  the 
church  as  an  engine  for  individual  and  social  right- 
eousness. To  make  its  work  modern  and  practical  so 
that  it  will  count  in  the  ideals  and  lives  of  men  and 
in  the  betterment  of  the  community — that  is  the  vision 
of  those  who  expand  the  work  of  the  Sunday-school 
beyond  the  traditional  field  so  long  occupied. 

4.    Summary  of  Needs 

The  Sunday-school  does  not  now  adequately  meet 
the  needs  for  religious  training  and  must  make  more 
effective  use  of  its  opportunities.  Among  the  lines  of 
effort  that  must  be  more  fully  developed  the  following 
are  very  important: 

1.  The  grading  of  Sunday-school  pupils. 

2.  Graded  work  adapted  to  pupils. 

3.  Competent  teachers. 

4.  Pedagogical  methods  of  work. 

5.  Systematic  Bible  instruction. 

6.  Application  of  the  lessons  to  the  life  and  charac- 

ter of  the  pupils. 

7.  Instruction  in  character  building. 

8.  Instruction  in  the  social  and  ethical  message  of 

the  gospel. 

9.  Education  in  the  Christian's  duty  to  the  poor, 

the  foreigner,  the  friendless,  and  to  the  com- 
munity. 

10.  Correlation  of  Sunday-school  with  other  church 

work. 

11.  Development  of  forms  of  Christian  service  to 

supplement  and  enrich  the  instruction. 


Ii8  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

This  complete  program  is  necessary  to  realize  the 
full  opportunity  of  the  Sunday-school,  but  the  most 
important  factor  is  the  teacher.  No  persons  should  be 
accepted  as  teachers  unless  they  have  received  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  training  for  the  work.  The  acceptance 
of  practically  every  volunteer,  as  was  formerly  done, 
discredits  the  Sunday-school  and  plays  havoc  with  suc- 
cessful service.  The  new  training  school  for  teachers 
opens  the  way  for  qualified  instructors  and  will  enable 
the  Sunday-school  to  be  reorganized  on  a  reputable 
pedagogical  basis.  If  education  for  secular  life  must 
be  standardized,  how  much  more  important  to  stand- 
ardize training  for  the  spiritual! 

5.    Week-day  Religious  Training 

Religious  education  may  supplement  the  secular  in 
various  ways.  The  Roman  Catholic  Church  has  its 
own  parochial  schools  in  which  both  are  a  feature  of 
the  work.  This  method,  however,  is  costly,  as  it  in- 
volves separate  schools  and,  at  present,  more  than  500 
teachers.  Furthermore,  the  elementary  schools  can 
hardly  hope  to  attain  the  high  standards  of  efficiency 
that  obtain  among  the  public  schools.  Similar  work, 
but  on  a  smaller  scale,  is  carried  on  by  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

The  Jewish  people  support  a  number  of  schools  in 
which  special  religious  instruction  is  given  to  Jewish 
children  outside  of  public  school  hours,  on  Sundays, 
and,  in  one  instance,  on  Saturdays.  The  public  schools, 
however,  are  used  for  the  secular  education.  The 
majority  of  Jewish  children  are  being  taught  in  this 
way. 

Many   Protestants  believe   that   efforts   should   be 


EDUCATION  119 

made  to  provide  religious  instruction  for  Protestant 
children  on  week-days  after  public  school  hours. 
Others  advocate  the  plan  recently  tried  in  Gary,  In- 
diana, where  religious  instruction  may  be  given  the 
child  on  some  regular  school  day.  The  schools  allow 
the  child  several  hours  for  this  opportunity  and  grant 
him  credit  for  the  work  done.  This  system,  however, 
has  not  been  carried  on  long  enough  to  warrant  con- 
clusions as  to  its  success. 

Whatever  be  the  method  ultimately  devised,  ade- 
quate religious  education  must  be  given.  If  the  Sun- 
day-school cannot  satisfactorily  meet  the  situation 
under  existing  conditions,  more  time  must  be  employed 
to  do  the  work. 

Religious  ideals  must  be  created  and  as  a  result  men 
must  obtain  a  Christ-like  attitude  toward  their  fellow- 
men.  No  training  is  complete  which  limits  itself  to 
personal  virtue. 

All  education,  secular  or  religious,  must  be  impreg- 
nated with  the  spirit  of  service.  Wherever  we  have 
groups  we  have  an  opportunity  for  the  contagion  of 
democracy,  the  definite  effects  of  which  are  coopera- 
tion, neighborliness,  and  brotherly  love — the  great  es- 
sentials of  a  religious  life. 

Morality  is  a  habit;  conduct  depends  partly  on  ex- 
perience, and  unselfishness  is  an  outgrowth  of  im- 
planted ideals  put  into  practise  with  human  beings. 
Education,  therefore,  is  more  than  instruction;  it  is 
the  development  of  the  Christ-life  through  the  direct 
application  of  the  principles  that  govern  it.  Accord- 
ingly it  is  most  important  to  watch  the  machinery — 
the  public  school,  the  private  school,  the  Sunday-school, 
and  other  educational  agencies — to  see  whether  it  ac- 


120  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

complishes  this  noble  purpose.  If  not,  our  influence 
must  be  used  to  perfect  the  machinery  as  far  as  we 
can.  Human  beings  cannot  build  perfect  organiza- 
tions, but  it  is  possible  to  throw  ideals  into  the  service 
and  the  result  will  be  good. 


V. 

THE  FAMILY 

The  family  is  as  old  as  man.  It  is  the  sacred  institu- 
tion through  which  the  continuity  of  the  race  has  been 
guaranteed  and  the  edifying  influences  of  the  home 
have  been  perpetuated.  The  Jewish  family  was  for- 
merly patriarchal,  and  at  one  time  polygamy  was  sanc- 
tioned and  practised.  The  principle  of  monogamy, 
however,  gradually  won  and  at  the  time  of  Christ  was 
the  generally  accepted  practise  throughout  the  Jewish 
realm.  Jesus  himself  gave  the  family  his  unstinted 
approval  and  regarded  it  as  part  of  a  divinely  ar- 
ranged plan.  "  For  this  cause,"  said  he,  "  shall  a  man 
leave  father  and  mother  and  shall  cleave  to  his  wife 
and  they  twain  shall  be  one  flesh."  To  build  up  and 
preserve  the  family,  to  maintain  its  integrity,  to  utilize 
the  graces  of  the  home  and  to  develop  moral  and  re- 
ligious ideals  therein — these  are  some  of  the  tasks 
that  fall  unavoidably  upon  the  church.  Family  and 
home  are  fundamental,  as  much  so  as  the  church  itself. 
They  must  be  safeguarded,  purified,  ennobled. 

I.    Marriage 
i.    Number  of  Married 

The  problem  of  the  family  is,  however,  one  of  the 
gravest  that  faces  us  to-day.  So  many  abnormal  con- 
ditions have  developed  that  the  ingenuity  of  the  church 
is  being  challenged  to  work  out  a  solution.  In  St. 


122  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

Louis  in  1910  among  the  males  fifteen  years  of  age 
and  over  52.5  per  cent,  were  married,  but,  counting 
the  divorced  and  widowed,  we  find  that  nearly  three 
out  of  every  five  had  experienced  family  life,  while 
of  those  forty-five  or  over  the  proportions  are  seven 
out  of  eight.  Among  women  the  percentage  was  some- 
what higher;  eleven  out  of  twelve  who  are  forty-five 
or  over  have  been  married.  More  than  136,000  mar- 
ried men  were  counted  in  1910,  and  an  approxi- 
mately equal  number  of  married  women.  Widows 
are  more  numerous  than  widowers,  every  eighth 
woman  fifteen  and  over  being  a  widow — three  times 
the  proportion  found  among  the  men.  The  natural 
vitality  of  woman,  added  to  the  deaths  among  men 
because  of  accident  and  industrial  disease,  pattly  ac- 
counts for  this  difference.  An  important  cause,  how- 
ever, is  the  tendency  of  widowed  men  to  marry  again. 
Formerly  most  families  lived  in  houses  by  them- 
selves and  enjoyed  the  maximum  amount  of  privacy, 
and  perhaps  loneliness  as  well.  In  1910  there  were 
105,000  dwellings  in  St.  Louis  inhabited  by  approxi- 
mately 135,000  couples.  There  are  many  single 
houses,  but  flats  are  more  numerous,  while  the  great 
bulk  of  the  population  east  of  Grand  Avenue  live  in 
buildings  containing  three  families  each  or  more.  The 
use  in  common  of  certain  conveniences  is  an  advan- 
tage if  enjoyed  under  a  favorable  environment;  but 
if  this  is  not  possible,  then  grave  social  and  moral  con- 
sequences follow.  Good  housing  is  conducive  to  good 
morals  and  to  wholesome  family  life.  Bad  housing 
aggravates  immorality,  lowers  the  ideals  in  the  home, 
and  fosters  abnormal  home  life.  A  preventive  pro- 
gram for  better  family  life  must  include  good  housing. 


\   I 


THE  FAMILY  123 

Two-  and  three-room  apartments  predominate  among 
the  poor  of  our  city.  To  place  families  ranging  from 
four  to  eight  or  ten  persons  in  such  apartments  means 
a  dangerous  loss  of  privacy  and  spells  blunted  moral 
sensibilities  for  the  sons  and  daughters,  while  for  the 
parents  it  means  moral  degradation. 

2.    Restrictions 

All  Christian  churches  recognize  the  holy  state  of 
matrimony,  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  going  so  far 
as  to  consider  it  a  sacrament;  and  the  churches  may 
well  emphasize  the  spiritual  union  which  should  exist. 
Marriage  ought  to  be  more  than  a  legal  relation  be- 
tween man  and  woman;  it  should  be  a  spiritual  bond 
as  well.  Nevertheless,  the  legal  side  needs  careful  con- 
sideration. In  Missouri  marriage  is  treated  lightly 
by  the  law  and  its  administrative  officials.  The  only 
restrictions  of  importance  on  the  statute-books  of  the 
state  are  the  following: 

Whites  and  negroes  may  not  intermarry. 

The  intermarriage  of  close  relatives,  including  first 
cousins,  is  forbidden.  ," 

Males  under  twenty-one  and  females  under  eighteen 
must  receive  their  parents'  consent. 

The  marriageable  age  is  fifteen  for  males  and  twelve 
for  females. 

Bigamous  marriages  are  prohibited. 

The  law  provides  that,  before  marriage,  a  license 
shall  be  obtained,  a  fee  of  $1.50  being  charged  for  the 
same.  The  marriage  may  be  solemnized  by  an  or- 
dained or  licensed  preacher,  a  judge  of  a  court  of  rec- 
ord, or  a  justice  of  the  peace.  No  particular  form  is 
prescribed.  The  person  solemnizing  the  marriage  must 


124  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

not  only  keep  record  of  the  marriage  but  report  the 
fact  to  the  licensing  official  within  ninety  days  of  the 
marriage. 

It  is  a  matter  of  serious  social  and  spiritual  conse- 
quence for  a  man  and  woman  to  assume  the  relations 
of  husband  and  wife,  for  the  home  is  tied  up  with 
every  form  of  social  organization.  It  is  of  no  small 
concern  to  consider  the  fact  that  the  average  annual 
number  of  marriage  licenses  granted  in  St.  Louis  dur- 
ing the  five  years  1911-15  was  7,655,  with  a  maximum 
of  over  8,000  in  1912.  With  more  than  15,000  persons 
beginning  family  life  every  year,  we  may  well  pause 
to  inquire  whether  these  young  people  are  fitted  to 
assume  the  responsibilities  they  have  undertaken. 

3.    Common  Law  Marriage 

In  about  fourteen  states  no  marriage  is  valid  unless 
it  has  been  entered  into  according  to  the  expressed 
provisions  of  the  law  as  stated  above;  but  in  the  ma- 
jority of  states,  including  Missouri,  a  man  and  woman 
may  live  together  without  formal  ceremony  of  any 
kind  whatsoever.  Simply  by  recognizing  each  other 
as  husband  and  wife  they  are  constituted  a  married 
couple.  There  are  hundreds,  if  not  thousands,  of  such 
common  law  marriages  in  this  city.  No  license  was 
secured;  no  ceremony  performed;  no  official  record 
of  the  marriage  was  made.  In  many  cases  no  serious 
social  or  moral  harm  is  apparent,  but  the  system  is 
abhorrent  and  leads  to  a  multitude  of  unhappy  and 
immoral  situations. 

Clever,  designing,  and  immoral  men  frequently  per- 
suade innocent  women  to  contract  this  form  of  mar- 
riage, live  with  them  a  few  weeks,  and  then  desert 


THE  FAMILY  125 

them.  This  is  little  more  than  a  species  of  white 
slavery. 

Men  and  women  live  temporarily  with  their  mates, 
but  regard  the  experience  as  a  sort  of  trial  marriage 
to  be  broken  whenever  the  inclination  occurs. 

In  spite  of  a  legal  recognition  of  common  law  mar- 
riage, courts  usually  require  proof  of  marriage  in 
cases  of  child  desertion,  non-support,  and  those  in- 
volving transfer  of  property.  Accordingly  children 
frequently  find  that  their  status  before  the  law  is  really 
that  of  the  illegitimate. 

Unions  are  often  so  irregular  that  children  become 
the  victims  of  neglect  and  fall  into  delinquency  and 
crime. 

To  summarize :  Common  law  marriage  places  a 
serious  handicap  on  the  children  of  such  marriages, 
frequently  subjecting  them  to  economic  and  moral  dis- 
advantages, while  the  effect  on  parents,  in  addition  to 
the  material  handicap,  is  degrading  and  productive  of 
low  ideals,  immorality,  and  broken  homes.  Should 
not  the  church,  for  the  sake  of  the  family  and  the 
moral  development  of  the  growing  children,  labor  to 
root  out  this  evil? 

4.    Unlawful  Parenthood 

Just  as  marriage  involves  the  husband  and  wife,  so 
the  little  child  becomes  the  center  of  the  home.  "  Suf- 
fer little  children  to  come  unto  me,  for  of  such  is  the 
kingdom  of  heaven."  Nevertheless,  many  little  babies 
at  once  confront  a  hard,  cold,  and  unyielding  world 
because  of  the  serious  sins  of  their  unmarried  parents. 
Out  of  about  15,000  births  occurring  annually  in  St. 
Louis  at  least  750  are  unsanctioned  by  the  law;  that 


126  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

is,  one  out  of  every  twenty  babies  is  from  the  very 
beginning  without  the  refining  influences  of  a  home. 
Some  of  the  mothers  come  to  St.  Louis  from  other 
states  and  cities;  likewise  many  unhappy  girls  leave 
the  city  to  hide  their  shame.  The  knowledge  that  more 
than  one  half  of  these  girls  are  less  than  twenty-one 
years  of  age  and  one  fifth  are  actually  under  eighteen 
goes  far  to  show  how  neglectful  have  been  the  agencies 
that  develop  character  and  will-power  in  our  young 
people.  Most  of  these  girls  are  engaged  in  domestic 
service,  and  many  of  them  suffer  from  the  discrimi- 
nations and  loneliness,  lack  of  opportunities  for  com- 
panionship and  recreation,  and  other  handicaps  that 
frequently  characterize  household  service.  But  what 
of  the  causes:  has  the  home  performed  its  duty?  Has 
the  school?  How  about  the  church? 

Here  a  few  specialized  institutions,  such  as  the  Sal- 
vation Army  Rescue  Home,  St.  Ann's  Foundling  Asy- 
lum, St.  Louis  Maternity  Hospital,  and  the  City  Hos- 
pital serve  such  unfortunate  women  and  their  babies; 
but  the  assistance  and  relief  afforded  is  but  a  small 
recompense  for  the  virtue  that  has  been  lost  and  the 
lives  that  have  been  all  but  wrecked.  Many  of  the 
babies  are  abandoned  and  left  on  the  streets  or  on 
door-steps.  When  found  they  are  turned  over  to  the 
Board  of  Children's  Guardians,  which  first  tries  to 
find  their  parents.  Failing  in  this,  it  cares  for  the 
babies  temporarily,  either  directly  or  by  placing  them 
in  some  institution  until  good  family  homes  can  be 
found  for  them. 

Missouri  is  one  of  the  few  states  that  places  the  re- 
sponsibility for  the  sins  of  the  two  parents  upon  one — 
the  mother — and  makes  her  carry  the  entire  burden. 


THE  FAMILY  127 

The  community  well  knows  that  the  man  is  at  least 
as  blameworthy  as  the  woman;  nevertheless  in  our 
state  and  in  our  city  this  fact  is  not  recognized.  We 
need  laws  that  will  place  responsibility  for  their  chil- 
dren, whether  legitimate  or  not,  upon  their  parents, 
father  and  mother  alike.  We  cannot  afford  to  allow 
men  to  continue  a  life  of  sin  because  they  can  shift 
the  human  responsibility  to  the  shoulders  of  some  help- 
less girl.  Nor  can  we  allow  children,  innocent  of 
wrong,  to  suffer  simply  because  their  parents  have 
sinned.  They  must  be  given  rights  and  opportunities 
similar  to  those  enjoyed  by  children  born  in  lawful 
wedlock.  We  must  strive  for  the  moral  upbuilding  of 
the  mother  and,  if  possible,  keep  her  and  her  baby 
together.  We  must  place  financial  and  moral  responsi- 
bility upon  the  father  and  strive  to  improve  his  morals. 
Furthermore,  under  certain  conditions,  parents  should 
be  required  to  marry.  Not  every  child  becomes  the 
center  of  a  home,  nor  are  its  parents  spiritually  united 
so  that  they  may  be  allowed  to  found  a  common  home. 
Besides  improved  laws,  we  need  to  guard  more  care- 
fully, perhaps  segregate,  the  weak-minded  and  weak- 
willed  girl,  the  easy  victim  of  temptation.  We  need, 
most  of  all,  ethical  and  religious  ideals  ground  into 
the  very  being  of  our  adolescent  boys  and  girls.  Fa- 
therhood and  motherhood  must  be  ennobled.  Each 
is  a  social  responsibility;  each  is  a  moral  trust,  and 
both  are  eternally  subject  to  the  purpose  of  marriage 
and  home.  The  faith  that  makes  men  whole  must 
be  made  concrete,  and  the  church  and  the  preacher 
cannot  consistently  avoid  dealing  with  these  weighty 
problems. 

If  the  family  is  an  institution  ordained  and  approved 


128  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

by  God,  then  it  becomes  the  duty  of  the  church  to 
preserve  it  as  far  as  this  is  humanly  possible.  If  the 
home  embodies  the  most  sacred  of  human  relations, 
then  nothing  should  be  left  undone  to  maintain  its 
integrity. 

//.    Disrupted  Family  Relations 
i.    Divorce 

Broken  family  ties  take  various  forms,  and  of  these 
perhaps  divorce  presents  the  most  serious  problem.  It 
is  both  cause  and  effect,  for  in  a  majority  of  cases  it 
merely  makes  legal  a  separation  that  has  already  been 
physically  and  spiritually  made;  that  is,  most  divorces 
are  granted  to  persons  who  are  living  apart  from  each 
other.  Divorce,  therefore,  registers  unhappy  home 
life  and  indicates  what  an  enormous  number  of  un- 
wholesome homes  are  actually  existing  to-day.  But 
divorce  is  also  an  avenue  through  which  men  and 
women  can  avoid  the  obligations  which  have  been  laid 
upon  them. 

Number  of  Divorces.  In  twenty  years,  ending 
1906,  nearly  1,000,000  divorces  were  secured  in  the 
United  States.  Nearly  1,000,000  homes  were  broken 
up  by  the  complete  severing  of  conjugal  relations;  and 
in  the  twentieth  year  for  every  twelve  marriages  there 
was  one  divorce.  In  St.  Louis  during  this  time  there 
were  9,677  divorces;  in  1906  the  number  was  747,  and 
in  1915  it  had  practically  doubled.  What  becomes 
of  the  divorcees,  their  children  and  families?  What 
impress  do  they  make  upon  their  fellow-men?  No 
one  knows,  but  we  do  know  that  the  conditions, 
whether  existing  in  the  individuals  or  in  the  environ- 
ment and  affecting  the  disagreement  which  brought 


THE  FAMILY  129 

about  the  divorce,  must  be  removed.     Evil  must  be 
torn  up  by  the  roots  and  not  pruned  or  trimmed. 

Divorce  Law  of  Missouri.  The  state  of  Mis- 
souri suffers  from  lax  divorce  laws.  South  Carolina 
has  no  divorce  law,  and  New  York  allows  one  cause; 
but  Missouri  specifies  eleven  causes  for  absolute  di- 
vorce, no  limited  divorce  being  granted.  The  causes 
are  worth  enumeration,  and  are  as  follows : 

1.  Impotence  of  parties  marrying. 

2.  When  either  party  had  spouse  living  at  time  of 

marriage. 

3.  Adultery  since  marriage. 

4.  Desertion  for  one  year. 

5.  Felony  or  infamous  crime  since  marriage. 

6.  Habitual  drunkenness  for  one  year. 

7.  Cruel  or  barbarous  treatment. 

8.  Indignities  offered  so  as  to  make  life  intolerable. 

9.  When  the  husband  is  a  vagrant  within  the  mean- 

ing of  the  law. 

10.  Person  convicted  of  felony  or  infamous  crime 

before  marriage  and  fact  unknown  to  other 
party. 

11.  When  intended  wife  was  pregnant  by  another 

man  at  time  of  marriage  and  fact  unknown 

to  husband. 

Attitude  of  Churches  on  Divorce.  It  follows 
from  these  laws  that  the  doors  of  marriage  swing 
easily  either  way.  Few  bars  to  marriage — few  impedi- 
ments to  divorce.  The  divorce  evil  must  be  met 
frankly  and  fearlessly,  but  we  should  not  deceive  our- 
selves into  believing  that  the  elimination  of  divorce 
will  restore  ideal  family  relations.  Jesus  spoke 
earnestly  on  this  important  practical  problem  in  the 


130  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

following  words,  "  Whosoever  shall  put  away  his 
wife,  except  it  be  for  fornication,  and  shall  marry 
another  committeth  adultery,"  and  "  What  God  hath 
joined  let  no  man  put  asunder."  The  passage  in  Luke 
reads :  "  Whosoever  putteth  away  his  wife  and  mar- 
rieth  another  committeth  adultery,  and  whosoever 
marrieth  her  that  is  put  away  from  her  husband  com- 
mitteth adultery."  A  passage  from  the  pen  of  Paul 
(i  Cor.  7:1015)  has  been  regarded  by  some  as  justi- 
fying divorce  on  the  ground  of  desertion. 

Various  Christian  denominations  have  adopted  a 
working  platform  on  divorce  and  apply  it  to  their 
members.  The  most  drastic  attitude  is  that  taken  by 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  which  opposes  absolute 
divorce  for  any  cause,  but  allows  a  judicial  separation 
that  does  not  legalize  a  remarriage.  The  principle, 
however,  applies  only  to  persons  united  by  the  clergy 
of  their  faith. 

The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  justifies  divorce 
on  the  one  ground  mentioned  by  Jesus;  that  is,  for 
adultery.  The  clergy  of  this  church  may  not  bind 
in  marriage  any  persons  divorced  on  other  grounds, 
nor  the  guilty  party  in  this  instance.  The  position  of 
the  Reformed  Church  is  similar,  and  a  like  attitude  is 
held  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  the  Con- 
gregationalists. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A.  holds  that 
divorce  may  be  admitted  for  both  adultery  and  deser- 
tion, a  scriptural  basis  being  assumed  for  each. 

The  Lutheran  Church  takes  a  more  liberal  view  on 
this  subject  and  would  allow  divorce  on  three  grounds. 
The  reaction  from  Roman  Catholic  theology  and  pol- 
icy at  the  time  of  the  Reformation  no  doubt  contrib- 


THE  FAMILY  131 

uted  largely  to  the  position  eventually  assumed.  The 
causes  for  divorce  recognized  as  legitimate  are: 

Adultery. 

Wilful  or  malicious  desertion. 

Extreme  cruelty. 

The  Evangelical  Church  recommends  to  its  clergy 
that  they  marry  no  divorced  persons  except  the  inno- 
cent party  in  case  of  adultery,  but  is  otherwise  gov- 
erned by  the  laws  of  the  respective  states. 

The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  has  attempted  to 
secure  interchurch  activity  against  divorce.  Several 
interdenominational  conferences  have  been  held,  but 
no  definite  or  decisive  results  were  achieved. 

All  of  the  churches  with  public  positions  on  the 
subject  are  opposed  to  such  lax  restrictions  as  those 
obtaining  in  the  Missouri  law.  Therefore,  in  spite 
of  the  disagreement  existing  among  them,  a  united 
effort  in  favor  of  stricter  laws  should  be  expected. 

National  Congress  on  Divorce  Laws.  The  Na- 
tional Congress  on  Uniform  Divorce  Laws  decided  to 
favor  the  granting  of  absolute  divorce  on  the  follow- 
ing grounds: 

1.  Adultery. 

2.  Bigamy. 

3.  Conviction  and  sentence  for  serious  crime  with 

punishment  for  two  years,  or  indeterminate 
sentence  of  at  least  one. 

4.  Extreme  cruelty. 

5.  Wilful  desertion  for  two  years. 

6.  Habitual  drunkenness  for  two  years. 

This  Congress  would  also  grant  limited  divorce  on 
any  one  of  these  grounds,  and,  in  addition,  in  case  of 
the  hopeless  insanity  of  the  husband. 


132  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

Why  should  not  the  Christian  people  of  this  city 
and  this  state  unite  in  making  the  Missouri  law  con- 
form to  the  practical  standards  established  by  experts 
on  the  subject?  Whether  we  should  labor  for  the 
limitations  imposed  by  Scripture,  when  this  goal  has 
been  achieved,  depends  on  the  moral  and  spiritual 
advancement  of  the  people.  Whatever  may  be  our 
ideal,  we  cannot  overlook  the  practical  nature  of  the 
problem.  Otherwise  we  may  impose  untold  hardships 
on  large  numbers  of  our  people. 

Improvement  in  Administration  of  Law.  An 
important  part  of  our  reform  program  consists  of  an 
improved  system  of  dealing  with  divorce  before  the 
courts.  In  St.  Louis  the  cases  are  handled  in  a  hap- 
hazard way  and  are  decided  on  the  basis  of  evidence 
wholly  inadequate  to  meet  the  situation  properly.  A 
large  majority  of  the  cases — perhaps  80  to  85  per  cent. 
— are  not  contested  by  the  defendant.  Evidence  that 
the  case  is  genuine  and  that  there  is  no  collusion  need 
not  be  strong,  since  no  contrary  evidence  is  presented. 
In  contested  cases  the  facts  at  issue  must  be  more 
carefully  and  accurately  determined,  but  in  neither 
group  of  cases  is  the  evidence  supplemented  by  the 
independent  investigation  of  trained  workers  whose 
sociological  acumen  will  bring  to  light  the  fundamental 
psychological  or  social  causes  responsible  for  the  dis- 
sensions. Cases  might,  under  these  conditions,  fre- 
quently be  kept  out  of  court  and  reconciliations  ef- 
fected. Furthermore,  the  tendency  to  separate  and 
sue  for  divorce  would  be  reduced.  An  urgent  need  in 
St.  Louis  is  the  sympathetic  handling  of  divorce  cases 
from  the  standpoint,  not  of  the  lawyer,  but  of  the 
friend  of  family  and  home.  Probably  a  domestic 


THE  FAMILY  133 

relations  court  and  certainly  a  system  of  social  in- 
vestigation are  necessary  to  complete  our  legal 
machinery.  The  question  is  not  whether  the  evidence 
justifies  divorce,  but  whether  wholesome  family  re- 
lations are  once  more  possible. 

The  great  task  for  practical  Christianity,  however, 
is  not  the  enactment  of  laws  that  prevent  souls  that  are 
severed  from  establishing  a  home,  but  the  develop- 
ment of  ideals  and  conditions  that  will  render  mar- 
riage stable.  In  this  respect  the  problem  presents 
the  same  aspect  as  do  other  phases  of  family  life; 
therefore  the  preventive  programs  for  all  may  be 
discussed  together  on  a  later  page. 

2.    Desertion  and  Non-Support 

Nature  of  Offenses.  While  some  families  are 
broken  by  divorce,  others  are  destroyed  simply  by 
desertion.  By  many  desertion  is  called  the  poor  man's 
divorce,  and,  although  it  is  not  accorded  the  same 
legal  privileges,  it  does  absolve  the  deserter  from 
family  responsibility.  Desertions  occur  among  all 
classes,  but  particularly  among  the  poor,  and  here  it 
becomes  a  grave  economic  as  well  as  moral  problem. 
Desertion  of  a  wife  if  there  are  no  children,  while  a 
serious  offense,  lacks  the  gravity  of  abandonment  of 
art  entire  family  with  the  burden  of  support  thrown 
upon  the  wife.  Usually  the  man  is  the  chief  wage- 
earner,  and  his  disappearance  places  the  family  in 
desperate  financial  straits,  to  the  untold  detriment  of 
mother  and  children. 

In  Missouri  wife  and  child  desertion  refers  to  the 
abandonment  by  a  man  of  his  wife  and  his  lawful 
children  under  fourteen  years  of  age.  The  penalty 


134  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

for  the  crime  consists  of  six  months'  imprisonment 
in  the  county  jail  or  workhouse,  or  a  maximum  fine 
of  $1,000,  or  both,  at  the  discretion  of  the  court. 
Under  certain  conditions  the  man  may  be  placed  on 
probation  or  paroled  on  a  suspended  sentence. 

Closely  allied  to  desertion  and  almost  equally  ag- 
gravating is  the  crime  of  non-support.  Many  men 
deliberately  refuse  to  provide  for  their  families,  but 
spend  the  major  portion  of  their  earnings  directly  on 
themselves  and  their  debasing  associates;  while  much 
of  their  time  is  consumed  in  lounging  about  saloons 
and  places  of  amusement  or  recreation.  A  complaint 
from  the  wife  results  in  a  mild  form  of  repentance, 
but  this  is  soon  forgotten  and  the  family  suffers  as 
before.  Often  men  of  this  character  exhibit  such 
characteristics  of  genuine  worthlessness  that  they  be- 
come subject  to  the  charge  of  vagrancy. 

Treatment  of  Cases.  The  aggrieved  wives  and 
mothers  of  St.  Louis  must  bring  their  complaints  to 
the  attention  of  the  prosecuting  attorney — an  official 
elected  by  the  people  and  working  in  connection  with 
the  Court  of  Criminal  Correction.  The  complaints, 
oral  or  written,  come  at  the  rate  of  about  ten  per 
day  (there  is  no  accurate  statistical  tabulation)  and 
therefore  number  upwards  of  3,500  during  the  year. 
Some  of  these,  of  course,  are  repetitions,  but  this 
figure  nevertheless  represents  the  cases  of  serious 
family  trouble. 

In  about  nine  out  of  ten  cases  the  prosecuting  at- 
torney attempts  to  adjust  the  difficulty  without  further 
recourse  to  law.  Husbands  are  sometimes  sent  for, 
wives  are  urged  to  compromise  differences,  and  other 
means  of  making  adjustments  are  employed;  but  the 


THE  FAMILY  135 

officials  have  no  investigators  to  follow  up  a  case  to 
discover  the  results  of  an  attempted  adjustment.  Be- 
cause the  woman  does  not  return  is  no  proof  of  the 
success  of  the  efforts.  Unhappily  many  disgusted 
women  simply  despair  of  relief  through  the  agency 
of  the  public  officials  and  abandon  their  attempts  to 
secure  justice. 

In  1914,  355  cases  of  desertion,  non-support,  and 
vagrancy  were  listed,  but  eighty-five  of  the  men  were 
not  found;  and  of  the  268  actually  brought  to  trial, 
convictions  were  secured  in  only  174  cases.1  In  view 
of  the  ridiculously  inadequate  machinery  to  care  for 
the  convicted  men,  little  was  accomplished.  One  half 
of  them  were  released  on  good  behavior,  a  few  pa- 
roled, and  some  continued  from  week  to  week  so  as  to 
place  them  under  regular  obligation  to  the  court.  But 
we  have  no  system  whereby  the  man  can  be  sent  to 
the  workhouse  and  the  family  receive  a  stated  sum 
while  the  man  is  partly  supporting  them  with  hard 
labor.  Nor  have  we  an  adequate  probation  force  to 
follow  up  men  guilty  of  non-support  in  order  that 
their  good  intentions  may  be  transmuted  into  actual 
service  to  their  families.  In  some  states  a  specified 
sum  is  paid  to  the  families  of  such  men  for  every  day 
that  the  men  serve  in  the  jail  or  workhouse.  Usually 
such  men  soon  prefer  to  support  their  families  while 
out  of  jail  instead  of  within.  Punishment  of  this 
sort  is  additional  punishment  for  the  family;  since 
while  the  man  languishes  in  jail  the  family  is  suffering 
from  want  of  food  and  shelter. 

Defects  in  Law  and  Administration.     The  Mis- 

1  Facts  collected  by  Miss  Laura  Kinkead  for  Missouri  School 
of  Social  Economy. 


136  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

souri  desertion  law  makes  no  provision  for  the  return 
of  deserters.  When  a  woman  prefers  a  charge  she 
must  pay  the  cost  of  bringing  the  man  back  to 
the  place  of  trial.  If  he  has  left  the  state  or  gone 
to  a  distant  town,  this  cost  is  prohibitive;  and  even 
though  this  were  not  the  case,  she  has  little  or  no 
assurance  that  the  action  of  the  court  will  bring  her 
the  desired  relief.  Again,  the  officials  do  not  exert 
themselves  to  the  utmost  to  discover  men  who  have 
abandoned  their  families,  thus  aggravating  the  situa- 
tion. A  tendency  to  deal  lightly  with  the  man  who 
neglects  his  family  places  a  heavy  burden  of  sorrow 
on  the  victims  of  his  unworthiness.  In  1915  the  cause 
given  for  the  relief  of  158  families  by  the  St.  Louis 
Provident  Association  was  "disregard  of  family  ties," 
but  400  cases  of  desertion  were  tabulated.  No  doubt 
other  cases  of  such  disregard  existed  where  non-sup- 
port was  a  contributory  cause.  The  best  experts  esti- 
mate that  from  10  to  12^2  per  cent,  of  all  families 
granted  relief  suffer  because  of  desertion  or  non- 
support.  This  form  of  broken  family  deserves  serious 
consideration  from  the  Christian  churches  because  of 
its  relation  to  poverty,  child  neglect,  and  its  moral 
menace. 

Desertion  Among  Jews.  We  may  well  take  les- 
sons from  our  Jewish  brethren  as  to  how  to  deal  with 
the  deserter.  At  least  two  thirds  of  all  Jewish  de- 
serters are  apprehended  and  cured  through  the  agency 
of  the  National  Desertion  Bureau,  and  large  quantities 
of  money  are  annually  collected  from  delinquent  hus- 
bands and  fathers  for  their  wives  and  children.  More 
than  $1,200  was  gathered  in  St.  Louis  in  1915  for 
this  purpose. 


THE  FAMILY  137 

3.   Widowhood 

A  family  broken  by  the  death  of  one  of  the  parents 
may  not  suffer  moral  degradation,  because  of  inherent 
qualities  of  worth  or  because  of  the  age  and  stability 
of  the  children.  But  broken  homes  are  hazardous, 
and  if  there  is  no  father  or  no  mother,  an  essential 
part  of  the  home  is  missing.  When  the  husband  and 
father  is  gone,  then,  among  the  poor,  the  mother  must 
become  a  wage-earner  and  help  to  support  the  family 
instead  of  carrying  on  that  most  necessary  function 
— making  a  home  for  the  children.  Is  it  any  wonder, 
then,  that  so  large  a  proportion  of  juvenile  delinquents 
come  from  such  homes  ?  Especially  are  the  girls  with- 
out proper  guidance  and  parental  discipline,  and  the 
sad  consequences  are  delinquency  or  immorality. 
Girls  are  particularly  susceptible  to  influences  within 
the  home,  while  boys  are  affected  to  a  large  extent 
by  their  companionship  without.  Under  any  condi- 
tions a  bad  situation  develops.  In  an  effort  to  meet 
this  need,  widows'  pension  laws  have  sprung  up  all 
over  the  United  States  and  a  local  ordinance  empowers 
the  Board  of  Children's  Guardians  to  administer  aid 
to  worthy  mothers  who  are  dependent  on  the  public 
for  support.  During  the  year  1915-16  the  board  main- 
tained 210  children  with  their  mothers,  100  of  whom 
were  new  cases  of  the  year,  while  the  remainder  were 
arranged  for  previously. 

The  great  handicap  to-day  is  the  difficulty  in  reach- 
ing and  helping  the  large  group  who  are  not  in  dire 
poverty  but  who  can  no  longer  maintain  a  home  under 
good  conditions.  They  must  be  found  before  they 
become  destitute,  for  when  they  have  descended  to 
this  plane,  few  of  them  are  worthy  of  and  eligible  to 


138  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

public  aid.  The  Provident  Association  in  1915  aided 
1,8 1 8  widows  with  families,  but  this  aid  came  only 
after  application  for  relief.  Small  wonder  that  many 
widows  live  irregularly  with  nondescript  men  and  re- 
ceive from  them  partial  support,  while  their  moral 
decline  makes  rapid  headway.  Without  a  sympathetic 
interest  in  the  widows  and  the  fatherless  a  high  level 
of  moral  and  religious  life  is  not  likely. 

To-day  we  have  reached  a  stage  of  advance  in 
medicine  and  in  the  control  of  nature  and  industry 
where  premature  death  is  a  disgrace  to  society.  To 
kill  fathers  of  young  children  by  industrial  accident 
and  make  no  systematic  provision  for  the  latter's  sup- 
port, as  for  example  through  a  workmen's  compensa- 
tion law,  is  criminal  negligence,  if  not  a  moral  crime. 
Much  widowhood  is  unnecessary,  and  we  are  to  blame 
for  the  moral  consequences  that  follow.  The  indus- 
trial disease  that  kills  men  and  leaves  the  struggling 
widow  to  starve,  or  collapse  from  overwork,  repre- 
sents an  unchristian  phase  of  industry  that  religion, 
even  if  only  in  self-defense,  must  destroy  or  it  will 
become  the  object  of  contempt. 

4.  Child  Neglect 

Value  of  Home  Training.  An  eminent  Roman 
Catholic  divine  once  said :  "  Give  me  the  child  until  he 
is  seven  years  of  age  and  I  care  not  who  has  him 
later."  Perhaps  the  time  allowed  is  a  little  too  short, 
but  the  statement  suggests  a  great  truth.  Whoever 
cares  for  the  plastic  child  determines  its  future.  Most 
children  are  entrusted  for  care  and  guidance  to  the 
home.  Upon  the  nature  of  that  home  depends  the 
future  of  the  boy  and  girl.  What  a  tremendous  task 


THE  FAMILY  139 

is  laid  upon  the  church  to  keep  that  home  a  fit  place 
for  the  determination  of  character  and  conduct!  In 
the  city  the  burden  is  greater  than  ever  before  because 
temptations  abound  like  the  leaves  of  autumn  and 
destroy  souls  without  compunction.  To-day  many 
parents  allow  their  children  to  grow  up  without 
sympathetic  and  effective  guidance.  This  fact  is  evi- 
denced in  the  hoodlum  spirit  that  pervades  the  leisure 
and  recreational  life  of  so  many  boys'  in  the  neg- 
lected sections  of  the  city,  and  often  among  the  well- 
to-do  families  as  well.  Often,  however,  indifference 
ripens  into  outright  neglect  and  cruelty,  and  the 
beneficent  advantages  of  home  disappear  utterly. 
Again,  mothers  fail  utterly  to  supervise  the  leisure 
time  of  their  daughters;  they  do  not  know  nor  care 
how  it  is  spent — make  no  inquiries  nor  suggestions. 
They  do  not  understand  the  dangers  of  the  street,  the 
parks,  the  dance-halls,  the  clandestine  gatherings,  and 
the  easily  made  companionships.  As  a  brutal  conse- 
quence girls  become  wayward,  uncontrollable,  and  only 
too  often  dip  so  deeply  into  vice  that  their  career  is 
endangered  if  not  entirely  wrecked. 

Number  of  Neglected  Children.  Here,  as  in 
every  city,  many  parents  must  be  brought  before  the 
courts  because  they  neglect  their  children.  During 
the  seven  years  1909-15  inclusive,  more  than  3,900 
children  were  handled  in  the  juvenile  court  as  a  result 
of  the  neglect  of  those  responsible  for  them — an  aver- 
age of  about  560  per  year.  The  Missouri  law  con- 
siders, as  neglected,  children  who,  if  under  ten,  sell 
newspapers  or  other  articles  on  the  street,  or,  if  under 
seventeen,  suffer  from  the  cruelty  or  depravity  of 
their  parents,  are  thrown  on  the  public  for  support 


I4o  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

and  beg,  or  perpetrate  acts  of  various  kinds  that  in- 
dicate general  indifference  on  the  part  of  parents  to 
their  children's  welfare.  Since  only  the  more  serious 
cases  are  brought  into  court  because  of  the  disinclina- 
tion of  judges  to  interfere  with  parental  functions, 
the  actual  number  of  socially  neglected  children  far 
exceeds  the  figures  given.  It  has  been  the  practise 
to  remove  about  sixty  per  cent,  from  their  homes 
and  provide  for  them  in  various  ways,  such  as  giving 
them  institutional  care  or  finding  private  homes. 
About  one  third  are  placed  under  supervision,  and  the 
remainder  are  dismissed.  Imagine  one  probation 
officer  attempting  to  supervise  two  hundred  children 
and  to  reconstruct  their  parents'  conception  of  re- 
sponsibility, and  then  consider  the  task  that  we  have 
imposed  on  our  public  officials!  The  impossibility  of 
marked  success  under  these  conditions  is  perfectly 
obvious  to  all.  Unless  aid  can  be  secured  from  out- 
side agencies  or  individuals  for  the  process  of  moral 
reconstruction,  the  fate  of  the  children  is  indeed  doubt- 
ful. Fortunately  the  Church  Federation  of  St.  Louis 
has  already  perceived  the  duty  of  the  churches  to  the 
neglected  child  and  its  incompetent  or  immoral  parents, 
and  has  placed  one  of  its  officials  in  the  court  to  serve 
Protestant  children  by  bringing  them  in  touch  with 
ministers,  churches,  Protestant  "big  brothers,"  or 
other  agencies  and  individuals  whose  ministrations  in 
their  behalf  and  that  of  their  parents  may  be  assured. 
For  many  years  the  Catholics  have  maintained  a  repre- 
sentative at  the  court  to  guide  and  guard  the  interests 
of  Catholic  children.  But  this  prodigious  task  has 
only  begun.  Hundreds  of  children,  hundreds  of 
parents  need  the  firm  but  sympathetic  aid  that  only 


THE  FAMILY  141 

religious  devotion  can  inspire.  Until  our  churches 
realize  more  fully  this  serious  need  these  parents  and 
children  will  be  neglected. 

Illustration  of  Neglect.  Perhaps  the  following 
illustration  presents  in  graphic  form  the  situation  with 
which  we  must  deal : 

The  four  Lawrence  children  were  found  living  in 
one  dirty  basement  room  on  North  Fifteenth  Street. 
Both  parents  were  habitual  drunkards.  The  father 
worked  rather  steadily,  but  the  mother  lay  in  a  drunken 
stupor  a  good  part  of  the  time.  The  parents  were 
confirmed  charity  seekers  and  had  been  aided  for 
years  by  relief -giving  societies.  The  oldest  child,  a 
girl  of  about  fourteen  years,  was  found  in  one  of  the 
rooms  of  an  immoral  house  with  several  immoral 
women. 

Causes.  Here  we  see  what  may  be  wrong,  for 
this  illustration  is  typical  of  many.  The  Missouri 
School  of  Social  Economy,  in  an  effort  to  discover 
why  children  are  neglected,  studied  1,000  cases  of 
children  passing  through  the  juvenile  court.  The 
formal  charges  were  as  follows:  broken  homes,  42 
per  cent.;  parents  intemperate,  23  per  cent.;  mothers 
immoral,  1 5  per  cent. ;  parents  generally  incompetent, 
20  per  cent.;  but  back  of  these  formal  causes  lie  the 
true  conditions  that  necessitated  court  procedure. 
Broken  homes  do  not  necessarily  imply  neglect.  They 
may  mean  poverty,  immorality,  or  some  other  hideous 
prospect  for  the  child.  It  is  the  actual  life  and  morals 
of  these  parents  that  mirror  the  true  causes  of  neglect. 
The  investigation  disclose^  that  practically  one  half 
of  both  the  fathers  and  the  mothers  were  intemperate. 
Drink  was  the  principal  direct  cause  of  the  neglect. 


142  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

A  much  larger  proportion  of  the  mothers  were  im- 
moral than  the  statistics  showed,  and  if  young  girls 
are  forced  to  endure  the  sight  of  immorality,  how 
soon  will  they  themselves  lapse  into  sin?  Abnormal 
family  conditions  are  indirectly  the  most  serious  factor, 
it  appearing  that  seven  out  of  every  ten  homes  were 
partly  broken  up.  Nearly  half  of  these  unhappy 
households  suffered  from  desertion  or  divorce,  and  in 
most  of  the  remainder  the  causes  of  neglect  were  igno- 
rance and  poverty.  Here,  then,  are  a  train  of  causes 
bearing  upon  the  home,  disrupting  and  ruining  it, 
and  driving  the  children,  through  the  court,  into  alien 
homes  or  institutions. 

Intemperance,  immorality,  ignorance,  poverty,  and 
family  dissensions, — these  are  the  primary  causes  that 
blast  the  lives  of  so  many  unfortunate  boys  and  girls. 
We  do  not  solve  the  problem  by  court  action  and  by 
ministering  to  the  needs  of  unhappy  children.  It  is 
only  as  we  ennoble  and  perfect  the  home  that  a  perma- 
nent solution  will  be  reached. 

Many  homes  are  broken  by  desertion  or  divorce,  or 
are  rendered  most  unhappy  and  insecure  because  men 
do  not  appreciate  the  fact  that  women  have  a  right 
to  life  and  self  equally  with  men.  Woman  is  becom- 
ing more  independent;  she  can  make  her  own  living; 
she  is  obtaining  a  better  education  than  the  man;  she 
properly  claims  consideration  as  a  human  being,  and 
therefore,  as  wife  and  mother,  she  no  longer  submits 
meekly  to  the  oppression  and  indignities  of  former 
days.  Temporarily  it  means  an  unhappy  home,  but 
in  the  long  run  it  involves  full  rights  before  the  law 
for  women;  rights  to  property,  to  the  ballot,  and  to 
herself,  and  it  insures  the  recognition  by  men  of  the 


THE  FAMILY  143 

justice  and  expediency  of  rights  for  women.  Then 
men  and  women,  by  living  on  a  similar  level,  can 
marry,  found  stable  homes  and  rear  children  that  will 
grow  into  intelligent,  law-abiding,  noble  citizens. 
Then  women  will  no  longer  be  prevented  from  hold- 
ing positions  in  the  churches  to  which  their  loyalty 
and  industry  entitle  them. 

Consider  the  divorces,  desertions,  separations, 
broken  homes,  and  other  abnormal  forms  of  family 
life  that  will  occur  among  the  stream  of  annual  re- 
cruits to  matrimony.  Then  remember  that  the  control 
of  these  evils  is  largely  a  control  of  manifestations 
or  effects,  but  that  the  profoundly  Christian  service 
is  that  which  destroys  the  springs  from  which  flow 
these  multiplied  evils. 

The  newspapers  constantly  remind  us  of  reckless 
marriages  conceived  during  a  fitful  passion  that  swayed 
the  parties  after  a  few  days'  or  weeks'  acquaintance. 
Without  really  knowing  and  understanding  each  other, 
two  people  take  a  step  that  should  never  be  retraced, 
but  this  short-sightedness  soon  reflects  itself  in  our 
statistics,  since  broken  homes  are  the  almost  inevitable 
result. 

5.    Insufficient  Income 

Much  unhappiness  is  due  to  the  inability  of  the 
husband  to  support  his  family.  More  than  10,000 
working  children  adding  something  to  the  family 
budget  and  thousands  of  young  women,  besides  a  con- 
siderable number  of  married  women  and  mothers, — 
these  are  evidences  of  the  need  of  a  greater  income. 
The  hand-to-mouth  existence  that  forces  one  tenth  or 
more  of  our  people  into  precarious  living  severely 


144  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

strains  the  family  relation  and  often  disrupts  it  entirely. 
The  train  of  evil  that  follows  is  expressed  in  divorce, 
desertion,  non-support,  the  neglect  of  children  and 
other  ills. 

///.    Immorality 

Perhaps  no  cause  of  marital  unhappiness  is  more 
menacing  or  persistent  than  immorality  among  men. 
The  amount  of  such  immorality  is  stupendous  and 
appalls  the  most  optimistic.  How  large  a  proportion 
of  the  diseases  among  married  women  is  due  to  in- 
fections innocently  acquired  from  their  husbands  no 
one  can  tell;  but  if  the  figures  for  other  cities  hold 
for  us,  then  the  absence  of  a  single  standard  of  morals 
is  the  deepest  blot  on  our  much  bespotted  civilization. 

A  few  facts  such  as  the  following,  however,  indi- 
cate that  we  are  no  exception.  About  one  out  of  eleven 
cases  treated  in  the  City  Hospital  is  for  social  disease, 
and  of  course  many  others  are  infected.  More  than 
1,400  similar  cases  were  treated  in  the  city  dispensaries 
in  the  year  1915-16.  About  two  thirds  of  the  insane 
patients  tested  showed  evidence  of  venereal  disease  and 
practically  one  half  of  the  almshouse  patients  were 
also  infected.  One  fourth  of  the  deaths  among  the 
insane  are  due  to  causes  that  are  aggravated  by  social 
disease. 

Probably  no  greater  evil  faces  mankind  to-day  than 
the  so-called  black  plague — the  diseases  contracted 
through  immorality.  The  misery  resulting  manifests 
itself  in  sterility,  premature  births,  lifeless  bodies  that 
should  have  been  babes,  deformed  and  dwarfed  chil- 
dren, diseased  organs,  weak-minded  offspring,  in- 
sanity, and  the  transmission  of  certain  forms  of  de- 


THE  FAMILY  145 

fectiveness.  Furthermore,  an  inevitable  effect,  when 
wives  learn  more  about  the  causes  of  these  condi- 
tions, will  be  the  estrangement  of  husband  and  wife 
and  the  complete  disruption  of  the  home.  Happily 
the  growing  independence  of  woman  enables  her  to 
choose  more  wisely  in  the  selection  of  a  mate.  She 
must  eventually  demand  of  him  a  standard  of  morality 
equal  to  her  own.  Otherwise  stable  homes  cannot  be 
founded. 

Undoubtedly  city  life,  with  its  absence  of  owned 
homes  and  its  relative  lack  of  privacy,  operates  to 
undermine  the  integrity  of  the  family.  There  are  so 
many  interests  drawing  both  husband  and  wife  away 
from  the  home  that  often  they  begin  to  neglect  each 
other.  Until  they  enjoy  interests  in  common,  this 
tendency  is  likely  to  continue. 

The  ideals  of  our  young  men  and  women  need 
attention.  In  the  first  place  there  is  an  absence  of 
those  religious  ideals  necessary  to  make  marriage  and 
home  the  fundamental  bulwark  of  public  and  private 
morality.  Too  many  plunge  into  marriage  without 
considering  adequately  their  rights  and  duties  and  the 
obligations  society  now  imposes  on  them.  In  the 
second  place  there  is  a  lack  of  ideal  relations  between 
husband  and  wife. 

IV.    Summary 

The  problem  of  the  family  challenges  the  ingenuity 
of  the  church  and  tests  its  capacity  to  regenerate  the 
world.  It  is  merest  nonsense  to  assume  that  every 
family  has  the  perfect  liberty  to  develop  as  it  pleases, 
regardless  of  the  effect  on  the  constituent  members. 
We  must  recognize  our  duty  to  each  other,  our  obli- 


146  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

gations  to  give  every  individual  an  opportunity  to 
enjoy  the  beneficence  and  beauty  of  an  uncorrupted 
family  life.  It  is  not  enough  to  peck  away  at  man- 
kind, by  saving  an  individual  here  and  another  there 
and  expecting  the  family  problems  to  right  themselves 
without  further  attention.  We  must  grasp  the  situa- 
tion firmly,  as  we  would  a  nettle,  and  deal  with  it  ac- 
cordingly, omitting  neither  causes  nor  effects.  Among 
the  results  to  be  achieved  are  the  following: 

1.  More  stringent  divorce  laws. 

2.  A  better  system  of  court  procedure. 

3.  More  effective  desertion,  non-support,  and  va- 

grancy laws. 

4.  Protection  of  illegitimate  children. 

5.  Better  marriage  laws. 

6.  Training  in  home  and  church  of  our  young 

people  in  the  meaning,  duties,  and  responsi- 
bilities of  marriage. 

7.  The    development    of   ideals   of    sex   morality, 

especially  in  men,  so  that  a  single  standard 
of  morals  may  be  attained. 

8.  Sex  harmony  between  husbands  and  wives. 

9.  The  removal  or  control  of  the  economic  and 

social  conditions  that  threaten  the  integrity 
and  sacredness  of  the  home,  such  as — 
Insufficient  income. 
Lack  of  industrial  capacity. 
Absence  of  recreation  facilities  for  families. 
Lack    of    opportunities    among    qualified 
young  men  and  women  to  associate  with 
each  other. 
Low  mentality. 

10.  The  elimination  of  the  social  diseases. 


THE  FAMILY  147 

II.  A  vitalized  religion  that  can  be  intelligently 
applied  to  concrete  problems  of  family  and 
home  by  "  social  evangelism." 

Here  we  have  a  program  upon  the  completion  of 
which  depends  the  solution  of  the  problem ;  and  most 
of  the  work  deals  with  the  causes  of  the  imperfections 
that  exist.  The  program  has  a  three-fold  character: 
we  must  legislate,  we  must  educate,  we  must  spiritu- 
alize, and  no  one  of  these  three  can  accomplish  much 
without  the  others.  They  are  all  parts  of  an  indi- 
visible whole  and  must  ever  be  related  to  each  other. 
Why  should  not  the  church  inspire  this  program  of 
human  uplift  and  work  directly  or  indirectly  to  make 
it  a  genuine  reality? 


VI. 

POVERTY  AND  DISEASE 

"  Pure  religion  and  undefiled  before  God  and  the 
Father  is  this,  to  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in 
their  affliction,  and  to  keep  himself  unspotted  from  the 
world."  When  James  wrote  this  passage  he  must  have 
had  in  mind  a  panorama  of  the  life  of  Christ.  Did 
not  Jesus  spend  a  large  part  of  his  ministry  in  healing 
the  sick,  caring  for  the  afflicted,  feeding  the  hungry, 
and  doing  good  to  the  friendless  and  alone  ?  We  find 
him  concerned  with  practically  every  phase  of  modern 
philanthropic  endeavor  and  considering  it  a  part  of  his 
task,  for  he  cured  the  blind,  the  deaf  and  dumb,  the 
insane  and  epileptic;  he  healed  the  palsied  and  those 
suffering  from  fever  and  disease;  he  interfered  with 
death,  and  the  burden  of  the  poor  lay  heavy  on  his 
heart.  "  He  went  about  doing  good."  Shall  the 
church  then,  on  principle,  attack  disease  and  poverty? 
In  a  way  it  has  already  answered  the  question,  and 
is  undertaking  these  tasks  to-day.  Do  not  the  hospi- 
tals at  home  and  those  in  every  missionary  field  at- 
test to  the  duty  and  the  beneficence  of  service?  But 
the  church  must  redouble  its  energies  and  apply  them 
in  more  efficient  manner. 

/.    Disease 
i.    Deaths  Among  Infants 

St.  Louis  has  its  sorrows  and  sufferings  much  that 
is  needless  and  without  excuse.    On  the  other  hand,  it 
149 


ISO  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

compares  favorably  with  other  large  cities  in  its  death 
rate  and  the  number  of  its  poor.  In  1915  there  were 
10,269  deaths  and  14,742  births, — a  considerable  ex- 
cess of  the  latter.  Splendid  progress  has  been  made 
in  saving  infant  lives.  In  1906,  134  babies  died  during 
the  first  year  of  life  out  of  every  1,000  born,  but  in 
1915  this  proportion  was  reduced  to  82.  Formerly 
when  one  quarter  to  one  third  of  the  children 
died  before  they  were  one  year  old,  many  parents 
meekly  and  submissively  resigned  themselves  to  the 
inevitable,  saying  "  God's  will  be  done,"  as  though  the 
God  of  Love  really  wished  to  have  it  so.  Men,  there- 
fore, ignorantly  continued  to  put  babies  in  the  path 
of  disease  and  death.  In  the  most  healthful  localities 
and  among  the  most  intelligent  people  the  infant  death 
rate  has  been  reduced  to  less  than  five  per  cent.  St. 
Louis,  therefore,  needs  to  cut  its  rate  practically  in 
two  before  it  touches  the  bed-rock  of  unavoidable 
mortality.  In  other  words,  one  half  of  the  babies  are 
still  needlessly  dying — dying  because  of  parental  igno- 
rance or  social  neglect.  The  fact  that  we  are  ahead  of 
many  cities  does  not  justify  a  failure  to  do  our  best. 

2.    Tuberculosis 

Possibly  one  of  our  most  serious  health  problems 
is  that  dread  disease,  tuberculosis.  For  many  years 
this  city  has  suffered  from  a  heavy  death-rate  due  to 
this  disease.  In  1914  the  St.  Louis  rate  was  hardly 
exceeded  by  any  of  the  larger  cities.  In  that  year 
1,502  persons  died  of  tuberculosis,  but  the  number  in 
1915  fortunately  fell  to  1,207.  One  out  of  every  nine 
funerals  was  caused  thereby.  Furthermore,  one  out 
of  every  three  persons  dying  between  the  ages  of 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  151 

twenty  and  thirty,  the  very  prime  of  life,  is  a  victim 
of  tuberculosis.  Formerly,  before  much  was  known 
about  this  disease,  people  cowered  in  helpless  fashion 
before  its  attacks,  and  if  they  were  infected  aban- 
doned all  hope,  thereby  hastening  their  death.  Modern 
medical  knowledge  has  greatly  relieved  this  tension; 
nevertheless,  tuberculosis  stands  next  to  pneumonia 
as  the  greatest  life  destroyer.  It  runs  an  average 
course  of  perhaps  three  and  one  half  years;  therefore, 
the  number  of  persons  afflicted  with  the  disease  at  any 
one  time  is  from  three  to  four  times  the  deaths  occur- 
ring in  a  year.  During  the  last  year  of  life  the  patient 
is  usually  incapable  of  systematic  work,  and  becomes 
dependent  on  relatives,  friends,  or  philanthropy. 

3.    Unchecked  Diseases 

There  are  other  diseases  that  deserve  mention  be- 
cause of  their  prevalence  or  gravity :  pneumonia,  which 
causes  the  largest  number  of  deaths;  cancer,  which  is 
apparently  increasing  and  has  not  been  brought  under 
medical  control;  Bright's  disease,  which  is  also  in- 
creasing; and  the  heart  diseases,  which  are  a  mani- 
festation of  overstrain.  Apoplexy  is  also  becoming 
more  common. 

Although  civilization  and  medical  knowledge  are 
coping  successfully  with  many  ugly  diseases,  for  ex- 
ample, smallpox,  diphtheria,  and  typhoid  fever,  and 
rapidly  reducing  the  danger  from  them,  there  are 
others — constitutional  diseases  especially — that  are 
actually  increasing.  Modern  life  brings  with  it  a  seri- 
ous vitality  problem.  Fast  living,  too  much  worry, 
overeating,  overstrain — physical  and  mental — and 
other  causes  operate  to  produce  these  results.  Too 


152  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

much  materialism,  too  little  idealism  and  spiritual  life 
reflect  their  consequences  in  our  mortality  records.  As 
in  the  case  of  infants,  so  with  adults,  premature  deaths 
are  largely  a  result  of  controllable  conditions.  Over- 
indulgence, ignorance,  unsanitary  homes  and  foods, 
excessive  work  and  worry  are  all  preventable. 

II.    Poverty 

i.    Charitable  Relief 

Not  so  unrelenting  as  disease,  but  persistent  and 
ever  chronic,  is  the  poverty  of  many  communities,  and 
St.  Louis  has  its  share.  The  number  of  families  and 
persons  aided  in  1914  and  1915  by  the  principal  chari- 
table agencies  throws  light  on  the  problem,  but  does 
not  adequately  represent  the  work  actually  done. 


Fami-  individ-  Fami-  individ- 

lies  uals  lies               uals 

Provident  Ass'n 4,847  14,897  10,443  32,083 

Jewish    Charitable   Ass'n..       295  1,427  276          1,900 

St.  Vincent  de  Paul 1,762  5,459  4,078  15,044 


Total 6,904       21,783        14,797       49,927 

In  addition  to  the  work  of  these  general  societies 
is  that  of  specialized  organizations  such  as  the  Chil- 
dren's Aid  Society,  Board  of  Children's  Guardians, 
Infirmary,  Municipal  Lodging  House,  Milk  and  Ice 
Fund,  and  the  relief  extended  by  churches,  labor 
unions,  lodges,  and  private  individuals.  It  is  probable 
that  these  groups  touch  at  least  one  half  as  many 
families  as  do  the  three  organizations  whose  figures 
are  given  above. 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  153 

2.    Medical  Aid 

The  number  of  persons  receiving  free  medical  aid 
is  still  larger.  The  City  Hospital  alone  registers  more 
than  17,000  cases  annually.  In  addition,  there  are 
more  than  twenty  private  hospitals  that  each  provide 
some  free  beds,  and  here  thousands  of  persons  are 
annually  accommodated.  The  clinics  and  dispensaries 
treat  cases  of  minor  ailment.  In  the  year  1914-1915 
the  municipal  dispensaries  alone  treated  53,480  cases, 
while  the  Jewish  and  Catholic  dispensaries  treated 
about  7,500  and  10,568  cases  respectively.  During  the 
year  the  Washington  University  Dispensary  recorded 
115,541  treatments,  but  since  many  patients  were 
treated  more  than  once  the  number  of  different  per- 
sons is  much  less  than  the  figures  given.  There  are 
other  dispensaries  that  provide  free  service.  It  is 
probable  that  about  150,000  persons  were  aided  in 
1915,  or  more  than  fifteen  per  cent,  of  the  entire 
population.  This  aggregate  is  so  staggering  as  to 
arouse  the  righteous  discontent  of  any  progressive 
people.  Nor  must  it  be  forgotten  that  six  per  cent,  of 
those  who  die  in  St.  Louis  are  buried  in  the  potter's 
field,  and  we  know  that  every  effort  is  usually  made 
to  prevent  this  humiliating  culmination  of  human  life. 
It  Is  safe  to  conclude  that  in  ordinary  years  at  least 
ten  per  cent,  of  the  population  receives  some  free 
charitable  or  medical  aid  and  that  in  years  of  depres- 
sion the  proportion  rises  to  fifteen  per  cent,  or  more. 
To-day  science  and  education  enable  us  to  grasp  these 
problems  with  a  new  significance.  If  it  is  Christlike 
to  heal  the  sick  and  succor  the  poor,  is  it  not  equally 
Christian  to  work  for  the  prevention  of  sickness  and 
the  abolition  of  poverty?  If  it  is,  then  the  causes  of 


154  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

poverty  and  of  disease  are  pertinent  problems  to  be 
considered  by  the  church. 

///.    Defectiveness 

1.  Insanity 

Allied  to  disease  are  those  unfortunate  conditions 
of  defectiveness  which  have  grieved  all  good  men 
through  the  ages.  In  the  first  place  there  is  insanity. 
More  than  2,000  insane  are  included  among  our  popu- 
lation, and  of  these  the  bulk  are  inmates  of  our  city 
sanitarium.  Intemperance,  social  disease,  poverty,  and 
bad  heredity  are  largely  responsible  for  this  condition. 

2.  Feeble-mindedness 

Then  there  is  feeble-mindedness.  No  one  knows 
how  many  are  affected,  but  they  are  undoubtedly  as 
numerous  as  are  the  insane.  Most  of  them  are  socially 
and  morally  irresponsible,  and  many  become  delin- 
quents or  criminals.  Others  are  intemperate  or  im- 
moral, and  few,  if  any,  can  properly  fulfil  the  im- 
portant duties  of  father  or  mother  and  support  them- 
selves or  their  families  under  decent  physical  and 
moral  conditions.  The  great  bulk  of  our  feeble- 
minded are  at  large;  but  a  small  number  are  in  our 
state  colony  at  Marshall,  while  a  few  are  held  in 
various  local  institutions.  Probably  two  thirds  of  the 
feeble-minded  have  ancestry  that  is  defective,  but  the 
actual  amount  of  feeble-mindedness  is  greatly  ac- 
centuated by  the  intemperance  and  immorality  of 
persons  who  are  weak-willed  and  without  normal 
mental  powers. 

A  serious  fact — one  that  the  public  has  hardly  dared 
to  give  frank  consideration — is  the  low  level  of  men- 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  ISS 

tality  that  prevails  among  a  certain  percentage  of  the 
population  that  may  not  be  classed  as  feeble-minded. 
For  these,  poverty  is  almost  inevitable,  for  they  lack 
the  prudence,  foresight,  and  intelligence  to  conserve 
their  strength,  to  save  their  surplus  earnings,  to  make 
provision  for  the  future,  or  to  maintain  positions  they 
may  hold.  In  general,  they  lack  the  mental  alertness 
necessary  for  success.  They  are  social  failures  and 
their  children,  who  are  very  numerous,  will  be  like 
them.  They  come  from  the  groups  that  fall  behind 
their  grades  in  school  and  have  failed  to  grasp  the 
facts  as  to  the  complexities  and  tension  of  modern 
life. 

3.   Blindness 

Blindness  represents  a  different  form  of  defective- 
ness,  but  is  also  most  serious  in  its  outcome.  In  1910 
there  were  nearly  700  persons  in  St.  Louis  either 
totally  or  partially  blind.  The  great  majority  of  these 
are  adults,  but  many  acquire  the  defect  in  childhood, 
some  as  mere  babes  suffering  from  the  consequences 
of  their  parents'  sins.  Unfortunately  it  is  difficult  for 
the  blind  to  support  themselves.  Most  occupations 
require  eyesight  and  therefore  the  lot  of  the  blind  is 
most  unhappy.  Christian  charity  is  necessary  to  rescue 
them  from  the  morbid  gloominess  that  the  perpetual 
loss  of  vision  entails.  Piano-tuning,  broom-  and  car- 
pet-making, newspaper-selling,  basket-weaving  and  a 
few  similar  occupations  practically  exhaust  the  indus- 
trial field  open  to  the  blind.  Nor  is  there  an  atti- 
tude of  helpfulness  among  the  general  public,  and 
therefore  great  difficulty  is  experienced  in  finding  and 
holding  the  positions  which  they  are  capable  of  filling. 


156  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

IV.     Causes  of  Distress 

1.  Sickness 

Although  the  immediate  duty  of  humanity  is  to 
comfort  those  in  suffering  or  want,  the  first  question 
that  suggests  itself  is,  what  has  brought  about  these 
conditions;  or,  who  is  to  blame?  No  easy  answer 
can  be  given.  Disease  is  one  of  the  most  important 
factors.  Sickness  of  the  father  or  mother,  and  es- 
pecially of  the  wage-earner  in  the  family,  was  responsi- 
ble, in  1914,  for  nearly  one  fourth  of  all  the  applica- 
tions by  families  for  relief  from  the  Provident  Asso- 
ciation. But  this  is  not  the  whole  story.  While  sick- 
ness causes  one  fourth  of  the  poverty,  it  has  been  esti- 
mated that  physical  disability,  including  sickness,  the 
weakened  condition  following  sickness,  and  the  crip- 
pled state  due  to  accident  or  disease,  is  a  factor  in  three 
out  of  every  four  cases.  In  other  words,  a  better 
control  of  disease  and  accident  and  the  elimination  of 
their  preventable  causes  would  at  once  remove  a  large 
proportion  of  the  poverty. 

2.  Unemployment 

Unemployment  is  responsible  for  from  two  fifths 
to  three  fifths  of  the  relief  problems,  but  sometimes 
unemployment  is  also  a  cloak  for  personal  sins  and 
shortcomings.  In  1915  a  large  part  of  the  poverty 
was  due  to  the  fact  that  work  did  not  exist.  Capital 
was  not  in  active  operation  and  at  least  five  sixths  of 
the  unemployed  simply  were  unable  to  find  work. 
Again,  as  a  previous  chapter  points  out,  chronic  con- 
ditions of  unemployment  exist  in  the  United  States. 
Accordingly  the  men  whose  wages  allow  merely  a 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  157 

hand-to-mouth  existence  are  often  compelled  to  ask 
for  aid  Curing  the  period  of  hopeless  unemployment. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  incompetent  workman  is  the 
first  to  lose  his  job,  and  the  man  of  irregular  habits 
— the  drunkard,  the  shiftless  man,  and  the  unwilling 
worker — all  easily  join  the  ranks  of  the  unemployed. 
Inability  to  secure  work,  therefore,  is  due  to  two  varie- 
ties of  causes — absence  of  work  and  defects  of  char- 
acter. Of  the  two  the  former  is  the  more  important, 
but  neither  can  be  overlooked. 

3.    Desertion;  Intemperance;  Shiftlessness 

Although  disregard  of  family  ties,  that  is,  deser- 
tion, and  chronic  non-support  are  given  as  a  cause  of 
poverty  in  less  than  five  per  cent,  of  the  cases,  as  a 
contributory  cause  it  undoubtedly  operates  to  a  much 
greater  extent.  A  similar  observation  may  be  made 
about  intemperance.  It  is  not  this  so  much  as  the 
condition  which  it  produces  that  is  the  immediate 
cause  of  want.  Drunkenness  produces  disease,  un- 
employment, thriftlessness;  and  these  conditions  force 
the  family  to  seek  aid.  Edward  T.  Devine  estimates 
the  proportion  of  poverty  in  the  United  States  directly 
and  indirectly  due  to  intemperance  at  twenty-five  per 
cent.  Idleness,  lack  of  thrift,  and  want  of  energy  are 
defects  of  character  that  also  play  an  important  part. 
These  traits  are  often  produced  by  adverse  social  con- 
ditions, and  so  far  as  this  is  true,  society  must  blame 
itself  for  the  individual  shortcomings.  Old  age  is  a 
serious  condition  frequently  attending  poverty,  but  it 
should  never  be  considered  a  cause.  Possibly  mis- 
fortune has  prevented  men  from  providing  for  their 
old  age,  or  perhaps  their  income  has  never  made  sav- 


158  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

ings  possible.  Whatever  the  facts,  it  is  not  the  old 
age,  but  the  conditions  that  force  a  man  into  a  penni- 
less old  age  that  should  be  faced.  Christian  charity 
has  been  peculiarly  solicitous  about  the  case  of  orphans 
and  the  aged,  but  why  should  not  the  prevention  of 
distress  among  the  aged  claim  an  equal  place  in  its 
program  ? 

4.  Inefficiency 

Inefficiency  causes  poverty,  for  it  means  either  low 
wages  or  unemployment.  It  may  be  due  to  defects 
of  character  or  to  want  of  opportunity.  To-day  our 
boys  and  young  men  hardly  receive  creditable  indus- 
trial training.  How  can  we  expect  them  to  become 
efficient  workmen?  Many  are  thrown  out  into  the 
industrial  world  while  mere  children,  and  never  ac- 
quire the  efficiency  necessary  to  maintain  a  home  and 
household.  This  ignorance  frequently  is  wholly  un- 
invited and  is  due  to  conditions  over  which  they  have 
no  control,  but  once  in  the  industrial  stream,  it  is 
impossible  to  turn  aside  for  the  training  and  education 
that  makes  for  efficiency. 

5.  Bad  Housing  Conditions 

Again,  "  the  destruction  of  the  poor  is  their  poverty," 
as  Proverbs  well  says.  Poverty  is  frequently  part  of 
a  vicious  circle  of  causes  and  effects.  Ignorance  is  a 
precipitating  condition  with  poverty  as  a  result. 
Disease  and  bad  housing  act  in  similar  manner. 
Poverty  in  turn  means  lack  of  opportunity  for  the 
children,  that  is,  it  begets  ignorance,  ill-health,  and  im- 
providence. Again,  it  forces  families  into  depressing, 
dilapidated,  and  unsanitary  homes.  In  1908  a  study 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  159 

of  nearly  4,000  families  living  in  the  Italian  and 
Jewish  sections  of  St.  Louis  brought  to  light  the  fact 
that  for  every  sleeping-room  there  were  an  average  of 
two  and  three-fourths  individuals.  To-day,  with  a 
higher  cost  of  living,  overcrowding  remains  as  serious 
a  factor  as  before,  and  the  two-  or  three-room  apart- 
ments still  predominate  among  the  poor.  Further- 
more they  lack  conveniences.  There  are  inadequate 
toilet  facilities.  Thousands  of  vaults  continue  to  exist ; 
nuisances  abound;  yards  and  courts  are  filled  with 
rubbish  and  vermin;  the  streets  and  alleys  are  par- 
tially neglected;  running  water,  although  supplied  in 
a  measure  in  accordance  with  the  law,  is  not  adequate, 
and  many  dark,  unventilated  rooms  are  still  to  be 
found.  Poverty  means  bad  housing,  but  this  in  turn 
means  disease  or  disability,  and  frequently,  moral  de- 
generation. These  once  more  result  in  poverty  and 
our  circle  continues  as  before. 

Cheap  Lodging  Houses.  The  same  conditions 
face  the  drifting  single  man  who  lives  in  the  cheap 
lodging  houses.  About  125  in  number,  they  can  ac- 
commodate 10,000  persons,  but  during  the  winter 
months  they  are  usually  overcrowded.  The  five-  and 
ten-cent  lodgings  do  not  provide  very  fastidious 
quarters,  and  in  the  absence  of  proper  regulations 
often  do  not  give  the  lodger  a  healthful  place  to  sleep. 
An  investigation  recently  made  of  the  lodging  houses 
disclosed  much  serious  overcrowding  of  which  the 
following  condition  is  an  example :  One  lodging  house 
keeper  used  the  second  and  third  floors  as  dormitories, 
placed  "  double-decker "  beds  in  the  rooms  side  by 
side,  and  actually  packed  the  lodgers  so  close  together 
that  the  air  space  per  guest  was  not  more  than  148 


160  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

cubic  feet.  Furthermore,  the  only  windows  were  those 
at  each  end  of  the  dormitories,  the  building  being 
wedged  in  between  two  others  and  having  no  windows 
on  the  sides.  These  men  should  have  at  least  five 
hundred  feet  of  air  space  or  three  times  the  amount 
actually  furnished.  The  lodging  house  ordinance  of 
1916  will  undoubtedly  improve  these  conditions.  Is 
it  any  wonder  that  men  sleeping  in  such  overcrowded 
and  unsanitary  quarters  lose  much  of  their  vitality, 
become  incapable  of  the  best  work,  frequently  con- 
tract serious  disease,  and  remain  in  poverty? 

6.    Causes  of  Disease 

There  are  causes  of  disease  that  seriously  affect  our 
welfare.  Tuberculosis  results  partly  from  the  use  of 
unsanitary  foods  and  from  living  in  airless,  lightless 
houses.  Frequently  it  is  due  to  contact  with  afflicted 
persons  either  in  the  home  or  the  factory  and  work- 
shop. In  fact,  occupation  is  a  vital  factor,  and  is 
often  responsible  for  the  breakdown  of  an  individual. 
Some  of  these  apparent  causes  are  in  reality  effects 
of  poverty. 

Diseases  of  the  digestive  system,  especially  among 
small  children,  are  due  largely  to  underfeeding,  or 
improper  feeding,  coupled  with  the  effects  of  heat. 
Usually  the  unwholesome  food  is  cow's  milk  which  is 
either  produced  under  bad  conditions  or  handled  care- 
lessly so  that  there  has  been  an  enormous  increase 
in  the  number  of  germs  that  it  contains.  The  lack 
of  care  may.be  due  to  the  dairies  or  to  the  mothers 
who  do  not  understand  about  bacteria  and  spoiled 
milk.  In  hot  weather  milk  spoils  rapidly,  and  as  a 
consequence  the  children  suffer  in  large  numbers. 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  161 

Some  years  ago  forty-five  per  cent,  of  the  entire  infant 
mortality  in  St.  Louis  occurred  during  the  four  sum- 
mer months,  but  the  preventive  work  has  been  so 
well  developed  that  in  1915  this  proportion  had  fallen 
to  thirty-five  per  cent,  or  little  more  than  the  average 
for  the  year.  A  better  milk  supply  and  the  system- 
atic education  of  parents  largely  account  for  this  result. 

V.    Philanthropic  Agencies 
i.    Public  Medical  Aid 

St.  Louis  has  a  network  of  philanthropic  agencies 
that  ministers  to  the  needs  of  its  people.  To  begin  with, 
the  municipality  has  its  departments  of  service.  The 
City  Hospital  is  a  tremendous  institution  capable  of 
accommodating  about  850  persons  at  one  time,  and 
provides  for  nearly  every  variety  of  disease  except 
those  which  are  contagious.  Persons  suffering  from 
these,  if  brought  to  the  hospitals,  are  transferred  to 
the  Isolation  or  Koch  Hospital  according  to  the  par- 
ticular ailment.  With  over  17,000  admissions  an- 
nually to  the  City  Hospital  and  an  average  period 
of  nearly  sixteen  days  of  hospital  care  each,  the 
magnitude  of  the  work  of  this  institution  becomes 
apparent.  All  cases  received  here  are  cared  for 
free  of  charge.  There  is  an  excellent  visiting 
staff  of  physicians,  but  no  special  department 
through  which  medical  service  can  be  extended  to 
the  homes  of  those  who  have  either  left  the 
hospital  or  who  do  not  really  require  institutional  care. 
An  important  branch  of  the  work  is  the  Social  Service 
Department,  which,  in  the  year  1914-15,  dealt  with 
1,809  new  cases  and  about  two  thirds  as  many  old 
ones.  This  department  is  concerned  with  the  social 


i6a  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

and  economic  conditions  of  the  patients  and  serves 
them  in  whatever  way  best  meets  the  individual  needs. 
Charity  cases  are  brought  in  touch  with  relief  socie- 
ties ;  the  wants  of  many  are  met  by  private  individuals ; 
employment  is  secured  in  some  cases;  unmarried 
mothers  are  guided  and  supervised ;  clothing  is  obtained 
from  private  sources  for  the  needy;  and  other  help- 
ful services  are  performed.  This  work  should  be 
greatly  extended  in  order  better  to  fit  the  patients 
into  their  moral  and  social  environment. 

The  Isolation  Hospital  during  the  year  received 
1,235  patients,  nearly  one  half  of  them  children  under 
ten  years  of  age.  Diphtheria,  scarlatina,  and  measles 
are  the  chief  trouble-makers,  being  responsible  for 
nearly  sixty  per  cent,  of  the  cases.  Koch  Hospital 
receives  consumptives  in  the  advanced  stages  of  the 
disease,  and,  therefore,  a  large  proportion  of  the 
inmates  die  in  the  institution.  About  580  different 
consumptives  were  treated  in  the  latter  institution  dur- 
ing the  course  of  the  year,  while  not  more  than  132 
were  present  at  any  one  time.  Advanced  cases  are,  and 
should  be,  removed  from  their  homes  if  there  is  danger 
of  infecting  other  members  of  the  family.  In  this  way 
the  prevalence  of  the  disease  can  be  greatly  reduced. 
The  city  now  makes  some  provision  for  incipient  or 
moderately  advanced  cases  of  tuberculosis  at  Koch 
Hospital  and  sends  no  cases  to  the  state  sanitarium  at 
Mt.  Vernon. 

The  city  dispensaries  carry  on  a  tremendous  work. 
There  are  four  of  these  institutions,  one  of  them  with 
a  clinic  for  tuberculosis  work.  Although  every  vari- 
ety of  disease  is  discovered,  the  principal  complaints 
are  of  a  relatively  minor  character  and  do  not  require 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  163 

hospital  care.  Alcoholism,  wounds  and  lacerations, 
rheumatism,  tonsilitis,  bronchitis,  influenza,  and  con- 
stipation are  the  chief  affections  treated.  The  munici- 
pal visiting  nurses  go  to  the  homes  and  endeavor  to 
develop  plans  for  poor  tubercular  patients  as  well  as 
to  provide  them  with  such  care  as  may  be  necessary. 
They  also  assist  in  baby  welfare  work  and  have  charge 
of  a  number  of  baby  clinics  located  in  appropriate 
districts  of  the  city. 

The  Health  Division  is  another  branch  of  the 
municipal  government  that  deals  with  this  problem, 
although  in  an  entirely  different  manner.  It  detects 
disease  among  the  children  in  the  schools.  It  quaran- 
tines and  disinfects  houses  when  cases  of  contagious 
or  communicable  disease  have  occurred.  Its  chief 
service,  however,  is  in  the  field  of  prevention.  It  is 
the  public  agency  empowered  to  improve  the  sanitary 
conditions  of  the  city  and  enforce  the  health  regula- 
tions. It  inspects  our  commercial  milk  supply,  our 
tenement  houses,  yards  and  alleys,  our  bakeries, 
restaurants,  meat  shops,  and  other  establishments.  It 
fights  the  flies  and  mosquitoes  and  promotes  the  public 
health  by  attempting  to  kill  the  causes  of  germs.  Un- 
fortunately it  lacks  the  appropriations  necessary  for 
the  proper  carrying  on  of  its  work. 

2.    Public  Charitable  Agencies 

Besides  the  medical  charities  conducted  by  the  city, 
several  forms  of  relief  work  should  be  mentioned. 
The  City  Infirmary  is  the  public  almshouse,  or  home 
for  the  aged  and  infirm,  and  has  an  institution  popu- 
lation that  in  1914-15  averaged  743  throughout  the 
year,  excluding  the  persons  from  St.  Louis  County. 


164  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

The  great  majority  are  men.  More  than  300  indi- 
viduals were  admitted  during  the  year  and  nearly 
half  that  number  died.  Although  a  well-kept  institu- 
tion, it  needs  cheer  brought  to  it  to  lighten  the  hearts 
of  the  lonely  old  people  whose  lives  have  left  in  them 
so  little  of  brightness  and  hope. 

The  Municipal  Lodging  House  is  operated  only 
during  the  winter  months.  It  has  heretofore  been 
located  in  the  old  Four  Courts  Building — a  gloomy 
structure  that  was  thoroughly  unadapted  for  this  pur- 
pose and  was  recently  torn  down.  It  was  kept  in  a 
fairly  sanitary  condition,  and  a  very  limited  medical 
examination  of  lodgers  was  made ;  some  bathing  facili- 
ties were  provided ;  breakfast  and  supper,  consisting  of 
bread,  coffee  and  sausage,  were  furnished.  The  cots 
were  without  mattresses  and  the  lodgers  rested  on 
them  without  removing  their  clothes,  no  bed  covers 
being  on  hand.  A  work  test,  applied  after  the  winter 
of  1914-15  was  partly  spent,  greatly  reduced  the 
number  of  lodgers;  and  the  application  of  this  test 
the  succeeding  winter  prevented  much  of  the  migration 
to  this  city  that  had  regularly  occurred  heretofore. 
The  largest  number  of  lodgers  accommodated  on  any 
night  was  in  December,  1914,  when  1,333  were  cared 
for,  the  average  for  the  season  being  805,  but  last 
winter  the  average  fell  to  less  than  300.  The  free  soup- 
kitchen,  privately  supported  in  connection  with  this 
institution,  had  a  record-breaking  attendance  of 
nearly  4,000.  At  least  one  fifth  of  the  lodgers  suffer 
from  physical  debility  and  the  majority  do  not  long 
for  work.  Intemperance  and  shiftlessness  have 
brought  most  of  them  to  their  present  status.  The  re- 
duction in  the  number  of  lodgers  in  1915-16  was  partly 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  165 

due  to  the  fact  that  a  rescue  mission  practically 
operated  as  a  free  rooming  house  without  applying 
work  tests.  As  a  consequence  hundreds  of  men  used 
its  quarters  instead  of  going  to  the  Municipal  Lodging 
House.  It  is  greatly  to  be  regretted  that  any  agency 
should  neglect  to  apply  the  definite  principles  necessary 
for  successful  work  with  homeless  men.  The  mission, 
however,  has  discontinued  this  form  of  work,  and  the 
municipal  institution,  when  reestablished,  will  no  doubt 
improve  the  character  of  its  service.  There  is  little 
excuse  for  such  institutions  unless  they  deal  construc- 
tively with  homeless  men  through  adequate  work  tests, 
proper  medical  examination,  cooperation  with  other 
agencies,  provision  for  work,  and  whatever  recon- 
structing influences  need  to  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the 
men  to  aid  in  building  up  their  character  and  con- 
duct. 

The  Board  of  Children's  Guardians  represents  an 
endeavor  to  meet  the  problem  of  child  placing.  All 
children  dependent  on  the  public  for  support  may  be 
referred  to  this  Board  for  disposition.  Children  are 
received  from  three  sources — from  the  Juvenile  Court 
in  certain  cases  of  neglect,  from  their  legal  custodians 
after  direct  application,  and  from  the  police  or  other 
authority  if  the  child  is  abandoned  or  a  foundling. 
Pending  their  disposition  the  children  are  maintained 
in  the  home  department  of  the  Industrial  School ;  but 
as  soon  as  possible,  boarding  homes  with  private  fami- 
lies of  the  same  religious  faith  as  the  parents  or 
guardians  of  the  child  are  found.  These  homes  must 
be  located  either  in  the  city  or  within  fifty  miles 
thereof.  In  case  the  father  is  dead,  insane,  in  an 
institution  for  the  epileptic  or  in  a  state  penitentiary, 


166  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

the  child  may  be  boarded  with  its  mother — an  arrange- 
ment practically  equivalent  to  a  mother's  pension. 
Foundlings  were  formerly  turned  over  directly  to 
several  private  child  caring  institutions  and  $12.00  per 
month  was  paid  for  each  until  it  reached  the  age  of 
three  or  was  disposed  of  by  the  institution.  The 
new  regulation  vests  the  authority  in  the  Board  of 
Guardians,  which  may  then  place  the  child  temporarily 
in  an  institution,  but  may  also  find  a  family  home  if 
that  seems  desirable.  This  plan  is  much  superior  to 
the  former,  and  insures  adequate  care  for  a  group  of 
children  that  have  long  remained  the  victims  of  unwise 
philanthropy.  The  Board  makes  a  careful  investiga- 
tion of  the  family  with  which  the  children  are  placed 
and  finds  that  satisfactory  families  are  none  too  plenti- 
ful. A  good  home  is  the  making  of  hundreds  of 
orphan  or  destitute  children,  and  there  is  need  of  more 
volunteer  Christian  homes  that  will  accept  and  help 
such  unfortunates.  With  nearly  500  children  under  its 
constant  care  the  Board  controls  the  future  of  many 
a  young  citizen. 

VL    Religious  Agencies 

i.    Roman  Catholic  Charities 

Private  philanthropy  expresses  in  a  peculiar  way 
the  spirit  of  religion  at  work.  Every  denomination 
attempts  to  carry  on  some  form  of  charitable  endeavor. 
Perhaps  the  most  elaborate  system  of  religious  agencies 
is  that  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  According  to 
the  report  of  the  Catholic  Charities  of  St.  Louis  at 
the  Fifth  Annual  Conference,  the  following  services 
were  performed  in  1915-16: 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  167 

Number      Cost  of  Service 

Institutions  furnishing  a  permanent 
home  for  children  or  aged 13  $206,130.07 

Hospitals    8  112,990.85 

Institutions  aiding  poor  at  head- 
quarters or  own  home 10  25,755.13 

Organizations  carrying  on  general  re- 
lief work  for  families 4  69,071.94 


Total 35  $413,947.99 

Connected  with  these  agencies  are  212  special  re- 
ligious workers  who  receive  no  salaries;  if  they  did, 
the  cost  would  be  increased  to  $573,387,  more  than 
half  a  million  dollars.  The  ramifications  of  Roman 
Catholic  charity  are  not  the  least  remarkable  part  of 
the  system.  The  forms  of  service  include  homes  for 
dependent  children,  for  delinquents  and  for  the  aged, 
education  of  the  deaf,  an  outing  farm,  settlements, 
low-priced  hotels  for  men  and  women,  hospitals — one 
being  for  the  tubercular  and  another  for  the  insane — 
and  extensive  relief  work  among  private  families. 
The  agency  whose  service  reaches  the  largest  number 
of  the  poor  is  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society,  which 
aids  almost  exclusively  families  affiliated  with  the 
Catholic  Church.  Branches  of  this  society  have  been 
organized  in  sixty-eight  parishes  in  the  city,  and  the 
members  of  the  different  local  conferences  meet  weekly 
for  consultation  and  discussion.  More  than  one 
thousand  members — all  men — have  investigated  fami- 
lies and  visited  the  poor.  The  volume  of  the  service 
is  represented  by  the  fact  that  help  was  given  to  more 
than  15,000  persons  and  that  $50,000  was  expended 
during  the  year  1915.  Nearly  all  of  this  money  was 
spent  directly  for  the  poor,  mostly  in  the  form  of 
material  relief.  The  society  has  its  lessons,  both  good 


168  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

and  bad,  for  other  agencies.  Nearly  a  thousand  men 
meeting  every  week  to  perform  some  charitable  service 
represents  religion  translated  into  action  in  a  way  that 
must  challenge  the  membership  of  the  Protestant 
churches.  These  men  give  of  their  time  and  of  their 
money  and  cheerfully  carry  on  this  work.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  day  of  the  trained  social  service  worker 
has  arrived,  and  investigations  of  relief  problems  can 
best  be  made  by  persons  who  have  been  prepared  for 
so  difficult  and  delicate  a  task.  The  questions  involved 
are  so  numerous  that  enough  remains  to  be  done  by 
all  the  volunteers  that  any  church  can  inspire  to  serve. 
Furthermore,  woman  is  needed  in  philanthropy,  not 
in  separate  council,  but  frequently  about  the  same  table 
with  men.  The  net  results  are  better.  Some  of  the 
institutions  do  not  limit  their  services  to  members  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  but  admit  individuals 
without  distinction  of  class,  nationality,  or  creed. 
This  applies  particularly  to  the  hospitals,  but  also  to 
several  of  the  other  forms  of  charitable  and  correc- 
tional work.  The  work  of  the  two  settlements  extends 
beyond  denominational  lines.  Among  their  activities 
are  a  day  nursery,  kindergarten,  sewing  school,  lunch 
rooms,  clubs,  and  classes  of  various  kinds. 

Systematic  religious  work  among  the  Catholics  in 
the  city  institutions  is  carried  on  by  the  Franciscan 
Fathers.  The  service  includes  confessions,  oppor- 
tunity to  receive  the  sacrament,  mass,  distribution  of 
reading  matter,  visitations,  and  advice.  Special  Sun- 
day-school work  is  carried  on  in  the  Industrial  School 
by  a  separate  organization  of  lay  members  of  the 
church. 

In  spite  of  their  many  points  of  excellence,  such  as 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  169 

their  organization,  system,  and  munificence,  the  Catho- 
lic charities  have  ample  opportunity  for  improvement. 
They  need  workers  trained  in  social  service.  They 
can  afford  to  cooperate  better  with  other  agencies. 
They  must  become  more  willing  to  welcome  public 
official  inspection  and  to  give  an  account  of  their 
stewardship  to  the  public,  especially  when  they  receive 
funds  from  popular  appeal;  and  they  must  place 
greater  emphasis  than  heretofore  on  the  prevention 
of  misery  and  other  social  ailments. 

2.    Jewish  Charities 

The  Jewish  people  have  systematized  their  charitable 
work  in  most  excellent  fashion.  The  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities  is  an  organization  consisting  of  eight 
constituent  local  organizations,  and  in  addition  two 
others  outside  the  state  are  members.  The  Federa- 
tion is  the  central  organization  for  the  collection  and 
distribution  of  the  funds  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
local  institutions  and  allotments  to  others.  •  It  collects 
nearly  $100,000  annually,  and  apportions  the  receipts 
among  the  various  organizations  according  to  their 
respective  needs.  The  greatest  economy  is  obtained 
by  this  method;  the  work  is  simple  and  efficiency  is 
obtained.  Instead  of  eight  appeals  from  eight  organi- 
zations, one  appeal  from  the  Federation  is  all  that  the 
Jewish  contributor  receives.  He  subscribes  an  amount 
equivalent  to  what  he  would  have  given  to  all  the 
organizations ;  he  pays  this  sum  to  the  Federation 
treasury  in  semi-annual  installments ;  and  he  depends 
on  the  central  body  for  a  just  distribution  of  the  funds. 
The  solicitation  of  funds — the  bugbear  of  charity — 
is  thus  greatly  simplified  and  cost  reduced.  The  com- 


i;o  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

mon  collection  of  charitable  funds,  however,  is  pos- 
sible only  when  subscribers  have  attained  a  general 
unity  of  purpose  and  are  bound  together  by  coopera- 
tive ties — religious,  fraternal,  or  otherwise.  The 
Jewish  Charities  cover  such  fields  of  endeavor  as  the 
following:  relief  work,  settlement  activities,  hospital, 
dispensary,  day  nursery,  institution  for  dependent 
children,  home  for  aged,  home  for  invalids,  convales- 
cent home,  and  hospital  for  consumptives.  They  in- 
clude all  the  important  lines  of  charitable  endeavor, 
and  make  it  possible,  with  the  aid  of  public  philan- 
thropy, to  leave  very  little  to  the  resources  of  other 
private  or  denominational  agencies.  The  Jewish 
charities  recognize  the  importance  of  trained  service 
and  have  been  foremost  in  insisting  on  this  when- 
ever possible  and  in  getting  volunteers  to  work  under 
the  guidance  of  experts. 

3.    Secular  Agencies 

St.  Louis  Provident  Association.  Among  the 
non-sectarian  agencies  the  St.  Louis  Provident  Asso- 
ciation stands  foremost.  It  is  the  general  relief  society 
for  the  whole  city,  but  it  is  more  than  that;  it  aims  to 
assume  the  functions  of  an  associated  charities  and 
to  serve  as  the  clearing-house  for  the  philanthropy 
of  the  city.  It  gives  relief  to  the  poor  without  distinc- 
tion of  race,  creed,  or  color,  but  cooperates  with  the 
special  or  denominational  societies  that  handle  certain 
types  of  cases.  Besides  the  central  downtown  office, 
it  has  four  district  offices  so  as  to  cover  the  city  more 
effectually.  Although  its  first  function  is  to  give  in- 
stant relief  to  the  needy,  it  supplements  this  service 
with  efforts  to  place  the  unfortunate  on  a  permanently 


A  VISITING  NURSE  AT  WORK  (PAGE  173) 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  171 

self-supporting  basis.  To  accomplish  this  end,  careful 
investigation  is  necessary,  as  well  as  the  development 
of  a  judicious  plan  of  family  reconstruction.  Among 
the  special  departments  of  work  are  the  day  nursery, 
sewing  room,  and  laundry  for  the  temporary  employ- 
ment of  needy  women,  the  lodgings  for  homeless  men 
and  women,  the  woodyard  for  the  employment  of 
destitute  men,  and  the  employment  bureau.  The 
records  of  the  Charities  Registration  Bureau  are  kept 
at  the  Provident  headquarters  and  are  consulted  by  this 
and  other  organizations.  Volunteer  committees  work- 
ing in  connection  with  the  agents  have  been  organized 
in  the  various  districts.  Although  the  emphasis  is 
upon  family  work,  the  Association  also  cares  for 
homeless  adults  and  for  children. 

Anti-Tuberculosis  Work.  The  Anti-Tuberculosis 
Society  aims  to  help  those  suffering  from  tuberculosis 
and  to  develop  a  program  and  methods  of  prevention. 
It  assists  the  Board  of  Education  in  handling  the 
children  received  at  the  open-air  school,  conducts  a 
night  and  day  camp  for  anemic  and  pre-tubercular 
women,  does  extensive  social  service  work  with 
tubercular  families,  and  carries  on  an  educational 
propaganda.  Nevertheless,  we  have  just  made  a  be- 
ginning in  the  war  against  tuberculosis. 

Child  Care.  The  Missouri  Home  Society  is  con- 
cerned largely  with  children  from  outside  the  city, 
but  the  Children's  Aid  Society  places  or  boards  de- 
pendent children  in  private  homes  and  supervises  them 
while  there.  The  importance  of  home  care  is  a  socio- 
logical as  well  as  a  religious  fact,  and  the  society,  there- 
fore, emphasizes  this  feature  of  work.  The  Missouri 
Association  for  the  Blind  has  relinquished  part  of  its 


172  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

work  to  the  state,  which  conducts  a  workshop  for 
blind  men,  helps  the  blind  in  various  ways,  and  car- 
ries on  preventive  work;  but  much  remains  for  the 
Association  especially  in  the  form  of  social  service 
and  educational  work. 

Homes  for  Aged.  Somewhat  allied  to  the  relief 
agencies  are  the  homes  for  the  aged,  of  which  there 
are  sixteen.  They  accept  applicants  on  the  payment 
of  certain  sums  of  money  and  insure  the  permanent 
care  of  the  individual,  thus  preventing  his  gradual 
drifting  to  the  almshouse.  Many  aged  persons  can- 
not be  cared  for  at  present  because  of  the  lack  of  space 
and  accommodation. 

Private  Medical  Charities.  The  medical  chari- 
ties are  well  represented  in  this  city.  In  addition  to 
the  hospitals  conducted  by  Roman  Catholic  groups, 
there  are  more  than  a  dozen  other  hospitals,  some  of 
them  specializing  in  certain  diseases,  others  of  a  general 
nature.  A  group  of  these  institutions,  thirteen  in  all 
and  including  two  Catholic  hospitals,  form  the  Satur- 
day and  Sunday  Hospital  Association,  which  during 
two  days  every  November  collects  funds  from  our 
citizens  and  distributes  them  among  the  constituent 
members  of  the  Association.  In  order  to  belong  to  the 
Association  and  become  its  beneficiary  a  hospital  must 
maintain  a  certain  number  of  free  beds.  In  spite  of 
the  number  of  hospitals,  we  lack  adequate  facilities, 
especially  for  persons  suffering  from  tuberculosis, 
rheumatism,  nervous  troubles,  and  social  diseases. 

A  valuable  feature  of  allied  work  is  the  social  service 
performed  by  Barnes  Hospital  and  the  Washington 
University  Dispensary.  At  present  several  full-time 
workers  are  employed  in  handling  the  cases  of  those 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  173 

applicants  who  need  economic  and  social  reconstruc- 
tion. The  work  is  of  untold  value  in  improving  the 
status  of  the  applicants,  in  preventing  a  recurrence  of 
disease,  and  in  guarding  them  against  immorality  and 
shiftlessness.  Not  the  least  valuable  part  of  this 
service  is  the  prenatal  and  postnatal  work  that  is 
carried  on.  Mothers  and  prospective  mothers  are 
instructed  in  care  of  self  and  baby,  and  as  a  natural 
result  the  number  of  still  births  is  greatly  reduced,  as 
is  also  the  mortality  of  infants.  Furthermore,  a 
wholesome  view  of  family  life  is  inculcated. 

The  Visiting  Nurses'  Association  sends  nurses  to 
patients  in  their  homes,  who  would  not  otherwise 
secure  skilled  service.  It  labors  to  prevent  disease, 
conducts  clinics  for  babies,  and  gives  prenatal  instruc- 
tion. Closely  cooperating  with  it  is  the  Pure  Milk 
Commission,  which  provides  modified  pure  milk  for 
infants  and  for  the  needy  sick  and  poor. 

Social  Settlements.  Social  settlements  are  few. 
Most  of  the  agencies  carrying  on  the  activities  asso- 
ciated with  settlements  are  really  institutional  churches 
or  missions.  Nevertheless,  the  Neighborhood  Asso- 
ciation and  the  Mound  City  Settlement  are  secular 
agencies.  Day  nursery  work  is  a  feature  of  their 
service  and  of  some  of  the  institutional  churches  as 
well.  There  are  eight  day  nurseries  in  the  city. 

Needs  of  Secular  Charities.  The  secular  philan- 
thropies need  greatly  to  increase  their  efficiency. 
Again  the  trained  worker  is  not  sufficiently  in  evi- 
dence. The  unnecessary  overlapping  of  effort  must 
cease  and  the  uncovered  fields  of  service  be  occupied. 
The  charities  still  suffer  largely  from  the  pernicious 
sentiment  that  emphasis  must  be  placed  on  physical 


174  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

and  material  aid  rather  than  upon  the  use  of  workers 
for  the  moral  and  economic  upbuilding  of  the  unfortu- 
nate and  distressed.  They  need  to  emphasize  the 
social  causes  of  poverty  and  work  more  effectively  for 
their  removal. 

4.    Protestant  Philanthropy 

Relief.  The  philanthropic  work  of  the  Protestant 
churches  is  not  conducted  as  is  that  of  the  Catholics 
or  Jews.  Each  denomination  has  plans  and  ideas  of 
its  own  and  frequently  acts  without  reference  to  the 
others.  Most  of  the  churches  give  some  relief,  usually 
to  members,  or  to  persons  indirectly  connected  with 
the  church.  Such  aid  is  generally  administered 
through  a  small  board  of  deacons  who  make  the  in- 
vestigation and  grant  the  relief.  Institutional 
churches,  of  course,  usually  practise  more  advanced 
methods.  There  is  no  way  of  ascertaining  the  amount 
of  relief  granted  in  this  manner,  since  the  churches 
have  cooperated  but  little  with  the  organized  charities 
of  the  community,  and  make  practically  no  use  of  the 
Registration  Bureau. 

Child  Care.  One  of  the  fields  of  work  that  re- 
ligion has  long  considered  legitimate  is  the  care  of 
orphans  and  dependent  children.  As  a  consequence 
more  than  thirty  of  the  institutions  caring  for  children 
are  connected  with  some  denomination.  Several  of 
these  are  part  of  the  Roman  Catholic  system,  but  the 
majority  are  allied  to  some  Protestant  church.  In 
spite  of  the  theoretical  position  that  the  home  is  the 
place  best  fitted  for  the  care  of  children,  these  institu- 
tions, with  several  exceptions,  make  very  inadequate 
efforts  to  place  their  proteges  in  private  homes. 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  175 

Furthermore,  there  are  types  of  children  needing 
institutional  care  for  whom,  in  spite  of  this  maze  of 
children's  institutions,  no  provision  has  been  made. 

Hospitals.  The  majority  of  the  non-Catholic 
hospitals  were  founded  either  directly  by  some  de- 
nomination, or  by  men  whose  benevolent  impulses 
sprang  from  their  religion.  Apart  from  the  hos- 
pitals, however,  little  medical  charity  is  provided, 
except  the  dispensary  service  connected  with  several 
churches  or  hospitals.  Little  social  service  is  at- 
tempted, and  practically  no  convalescent  facilities  have 
been  provided.  Only  too  often  the  patient,  upon  dis- 
missal from  a  hospital,  needs  several  weeks'  con- 
valescent care  in  order  to  be  able  to  return  to  his 
work  without  the  probability  of  relapse  or  breakdown. 
The  city,  in  all  its  hospital  work,  public  or  private, 
whether  Catholic,  Jewish,  or  Protestant,  offers  almost 
no  privileges  for  persons  of  this  type. 

Probably  no  form  of  service  is  so  educative  to  the 
Protestant  pastors  of  this  city  as  the  visitation  work 
carried  on  under  the  auspices  of  the  Church  Federa- 
tion. Every  day  some  pastor  spends  several  hours  at 
the  City  Hospital,  ministering  to  the  sick.  Many 
ministers  appreciate  the  broader  aspects  of  the  work, 
and  having  set  out  to  reach  the  religious  and  moral 
life  of  the  patient,  try  also  to  improve  his  social 
condition.  In  no  other  way  can  some  of  these  pastors 
be  so  strongly  impressed  with  the  demands  of  a  mili- 
tant Christianity. 

Missions.  The  institutional  churches  and  missions 
carry  on  a  limited  amount  of  social  work.  Some  of 
them  give  relief,  employment,  and  dispensary  or  medi- 
cal service,  and  several  have  been  used  as  depots  for 


i/6  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

milk  stations  or  centers  for  baby  clinics.  Some  care 
for  the  homeless  is  provided,  but  usually  with  little 
idea  as  to  the  constructive  value  of  a  proper  program. 

Salvation  Army.  The  Salvation  Army,  although 
it  is  not  a  representative  or  federated  body,  is  in  a 
sense  a  Protestant  organization  that  carries  on  several 
forms  of  social  work.  Its  industrial  home  is  self- 
supporting,  and  temporarily  lodges  homeless  and  un- 
employed men.  The  hotel  operates  in  connection  with 
this  home.  The  dinners  for  homeless  men  illustrate  a 
form  of  relief  without  preventive  value  and  have  little 
to  commend  them.  The  day  outings  for  children  are 
wholesome  and  give  a  little  joy  to  the  boys  and  girls. 

Probably  the  best  and  most  effective  work  carried  on 
by  the  Army  is  the  Rescue  Home.  Young  women 
about  to  become  mothers  are  temporarily  cared  for, 
are  inspired  to  better  living,  and  are  placed  in  employ- 
ment where  they  can  remain  with  their  babies.  Ef- 
fectual moral  rehabilitation  of  these  women  and 
mothers  is  accomplished  in  a  large  proportion  of 
cases. 

There  are  other  rescue  homes,  carried  on  mostly 
by  radical  religionists  who  insist  on  forcing  religion 
on  the  unfortunates,  instead  of  wisely  combining  re- 
ligion with  an  effectual  development  of  social  and 
economic  capacity  for  life.  Their  methods  should  be 
improved. 

Defects.  On  the  whole  the  philanthropic  work 
of  the  Protestant  churches  is  not  satisfactory,  although 
this  is  not  to  be  understood  as  applying  to  the  greater 
part  of  what  is  being  done  by  the  various  institutional 
churches.  The  relief  work  is  done  in  a  haphazard  man- 
ner, with  little  appreciation  of  the  value  of  the  trained 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  177 

worker.  The  method  is  not  constructive,  but  is  usually 
remedial  in  character.  There  is  still  too  much  talk 
about  expenses  of  administration  and  small  amounts 
given  for  relief,  when  the  trained  worker  well  knows 
that  relief  represents  the  lowest  form  of  charity,  and 
that  the  best  method  consists  in  developing  character 
and  helping  to  make  men  self-sustaining  without  giv- 
ing them  material  aid.  Consequently  there  is  much 
waste  of  unselfish  energy.  There  is  the  tendency  to 
give  to  the  man  at  the  door  without  inquiry  and  with- 
out endeavoring  to  follow  up  his  case  so  as  to  help  him 
permanently.  We  are  still  too  ready  to  buy  peace  of 
mind  with  a  petty  dole  of  relief,  and  we  do  not  inquire 
what  its  effect  has  been  on  the  recipient.  The 
Protestant  churches  have  not  systematically  studied 
the  philanthropic  needs  of  the  city,  but  have  merely 
hit  upon  certain  forms  of  service  without  correlating 
them  with  other  needs.  They  have  permitted  their 
membership  to  act  almost  entirely  as  individuals,  rather 
than  as  members  of  a  larger  body,  and  therefore  have 
neither  developed  high  standards  in  their  own  chari- 
table work  nor  become  the  source  of  inspiration  that 
has  improved  the  secular  charities.  The  so-called 
Protestant  philanthropies  merge  into  general  or  non- 
sectarian  philanthropy,  and  therefore  the  amount  given 
by  Protestants  cannot  be  definitely  determined.  Out- 
side of  the  Catholic  and  Jewish  charities,  there  are 
about  seventy-five  charitable  and  philanthropic  agen- 
cies spending  nearly  $1,000,000,  the  bulk  of  which 
comes  from  the  public,  although  part  is  paid  by  the 
beneficiaries.  Most  of  the  funds  secured  through 
voluntary  contributions  for  these  agencies  come  from 
the  Protestant  groups. 


i;8  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

5.    Federated  Effort 

We  should  not  overlook  the  fact  that  fifty-two  social 
organizations  in  St.  Louis,  comprising  the  principal 
non-sectarian  agencies,  many  Protestant,  some  Catho- 
lic, and  the  Jewish  Charities,  form  a  federation  known 
as  the  Central  Council  of  Social  Agencies.  This 
organization  aims  to  improve  the  standards  and 
methods  of  social  work,  to  prevent  duplication  or  over- 
lapping, to  provide  for  the  extension  of  work  when 
necessary,  and  to  eliminate  harmful  charitable  enter- 
prises. Individuals  interested  in  social  service  may 
join  the  Social  Service  Conference,  an  organization 
consisting  of  300  members  whose  purpose  in  meeting 
is  to  learn  of  the  social  and  moral  problems  and  needs 
of  the  community  and  the  methods  of  meeting  them. 
The  conference  is  also  interested  in  legislative  matters 
and  carries  on  its  campaign  work  before  the  municipal 
and  the  state  legislative  bodies. 

VIL    Conclusion 

Although  every  important  denomination,  including 
the  three  primary  groups,  Catholic,  Protestant,  and 
Jewish,  are  concerned  with  philanthropic  problems, 
the  work  accomplished  is  largely  that  of  helping  those 
in  misery  or  distress.  The  moral  problem  of  prevent- 
ing these  conditions  and  of  dealing  with  causes  has 
hardly  been  appreciated.  It  is  not  good  policy,  even 
from  a  narrow  religious  standpoint,  to  wait  until 
people  are  visibly  and  humanly  wrecked  before  help 
is  extended  to  them.  If  it  is  a  holy  duty  to  plead  for 
orphans,  is  it  not  holy  also  to  plead  for  the  prevention 
of  orphanage?  If  it  is  true  religion  to  care  for  the 


POVERTY  AND  DISEASE  179 

homeless,  why  not  also  to  prevent  poverty  and  home- 
lessness  ? 

The  fight  against  poverty  and  disease  has  only 
begun.  We  have  not  attacked  tuberculosis  at  its  roots. 
We  have  a  recurring  problem  of  unemployment,  but  a 
mayor's  commission  appointed  to  develop  a  plan  to 
meet  the  problem  has  failed  to  do  its  work.  Vice 
scatters  disease  abroad,  but  we  have  failed  so  far  to 
secure  an  injunction  and  abatement  law — the  best 
weapon  to  fight  the  evil.  Less  than  one  fourth  of  our 
people  own  the  homes  in  which  they  live;  thousands 
of  apartments  are  empty,  but  rents  are  high;  in  parts 
of  the  city  housing  conditions  are  very  bad;  and 
several  thousand  vaults  are  still  in  existence.  The 
volume  of  poverty  indicates  no  hopeful  decline;  the 
cost  of  living  has  increased  more  rapidly  than  wages, 
the  thraldom  of  certain  business  and  financial  interests 
still  rests  heavy  on  our  city,  while  the  progress  of 
opportunity  is  slow.  Even  a  reform  so  generally  ac- 
cepted as  workmen's  compensation  has  suffered  from 
the  well-calculated  opposition  of  a  group  of  unfriendly 
employers.  Efforts  to  make  our  factory  inspection 
department  equal  to  its  task  have  failed.  The  law 
limiting  women  to  nine  hours  of  work  per  day — 
enough  for  any  woman — is  still  being  violated.  In 
short,  property  values  are  considered  of  more  im- 
portance than  human  values,  and  the  development  of 
a  community  filled  only  with  wholesome  and  contented 
people  is  an  ideal  far  from  realization. 

Misery,  as  represented  by  poverty  and  disease,  is 
morally  and  spiritually  degrading.  Its  prevention  and 
abolition  release  spiritual  energies.  Accordingly,  the 
church  must  not  only  formulate,  but  carry  out  a  social 


i8o  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

program.  The  platform  of  the  Federal  Council  covers 
much  of  the  ground,  but  a  clearly  defined  attitude  on 
bad  housing,  preventable  disease,  ignorance,  intem- 
perance, social  diseases,  the  reduction  and  elimination 
of  poverty,  and  the  menace  of  feeble-mindedness  is 
necessary  to  enlarge  properly  the  social  program. 
But  a  "  platform  "  means  nothing  and  is  a  mere  scrap 
of  paper  unless  the  spirit  of  the  church  vitalizes  the 
plan  and  makes  it  a  working  program  of  action.  Then, 
by  improving  contacts  and  environment  and  character 
through  social  service  and  by  inspiring  the  individual 
with  the  love  of  Christ,  moral  and  spiritual  standards 
can  be  established  and  maintained. 


VII. 
VICE  AND  CRIME 

The  church  has  always  thundered  against  sin  and 
vice,  but  less  has  been  said  about  crime,  because  this 
is  an  offense  against  the  state  and  does  not  directly 
concern  religion  as  such.  It  happens,  however,  that 
nearly  all  crime  is  sin,  and,  therefore,  not  to  be  omitted 
from  discussion.  Vice  refers  largely  to  private  prac- 
tises and  usually  constitutes  an  offense  against  one- 
self; for  example,  overeating,  intemperance,  and  im- 
morality are  vices.  Without  doubt  many,  if  not 
all,  vices  are  also  sins.  To  injure  oneself  is 
at  least  socially,  if  not  morally,  wrong.  Crime 
constitutes  those  offenses  that  are  declared  so 
injurious  to  society  that  their  occurrence  and  recur- 
rence must  be  prevented.  Vice  and  crime  offend 
not  only  man  himself  and  men  taken  collectively,  but 
they  create  an  environment  of  a  low  plane  of  morals ; 
and  the  human  contacts  made  in  this  environment  lead 
constantly  to  increasing  sin.  The  struggle  against  sin, 
therefore,  involves  a  new  man  and  a  new  morality. 
It  is  clear  that  Christianity  has  not  reached  its  goal 
so  long  as  sin,  whether  as  vice,  crime,  or  in  other  form, 
exists  in  the  world.  True  religion  involves  com- 
munion with  God,  but  an  absolutely  necessary  outcome 
is  a  high  ethical  plane  of  living.  What  about  St. 
Louis?  Its  harvest  of  sin  is  constant,  but  not  over- 

18: 


182  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

whelming  unless  religion  loses  its  vigor  and  fails  to  go 
forward. 

/.    Crime  and  Its  Treatment 
i.    Amount  of  Crime 

Crime  depends  essentially  on  two  factors,  the  person 
and  the  stimulus.  Both  are  necessary  for  the  perpetra- 
tion of  the  offense.  In  1915-16,  39,095  persons  were 
arrested,  less  than  2,000  of  whom  were  under  sixteen. 
One  out  of  every  fifteen  individuals  over  sixteen  years 
of  age  was  arrested  for  some  offense.  Of  those  ar- 
rested, the  foreign-born  formed  somewhat  less  than 
their  proportion  in  the  general  population,  but  among 
the  negroes  there  were  more  than  three  times  their 
numerical  proportion  of  the  population.  The  great 
majority  of  all  offenses  are  of  a  minor  nature,  that  is, 
violations  of  municipal  ordinances  and  not  of  state 
laws.  About  sixty-two  per  cent,  belong  to  the  former, 
and  thirty-eight  per  cent,  to  the  latter,  group.  Many 
persons,  especially  foreigners,  offend  through  igno- 
rance. Chief  among  the  offenses  is  disturbance  of  the 
peace,  which  may  assume  the  greatest  variety  of 
forms,  but  which,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  is  largely 
a  result  of  intemperance. 

Second,  comes  drunkenness  itself.  Over  5,300  ar- 
rests were  made  during  the  year  of  persons  "  drunk 
on  the  street."  Nor  does  this  constitute  the  full  ex- 
tent of  the  evil  in  St.  Louis,  since  more  than  3,000 
intoxicated  persons  were  sent  home  by  the  police  or 
taken  to  the  dispensaries,  but  not  to  the  station.  These 
two  causes  of  arrest  constitute  nearly  sixty  per  cent, 
of  the  arrests  made  for  violating  municipal  ordinances 
and  nearly  three  eighths  of  the  arrests  for  any  cause. 


VICE  AND  CRIME  183 

Other  important  causes  among  minor  cases  were  petty 
gambling,  such  as  playing  cards,  dice  and  craps,  solici- 
tation by  immoral  women,  begging,  trespassing,  driv- 
ing unlicensed  vehicles  and  careless  driving. 

Over  15,000  serious  cases  of  crime  occurred  in 
1915-16.  The  most  important  cause  was  larceny,  of 
which  nearly  6,000  cases  were  reported.  Violating 
the  speed  laws — reckless  auto  driving — comes  next. 
An  average  of  three  men  were  killed  every  week — one 
nearly  every  second  day.  Assault  and  battery  were 
next  in  number,  while  other  crimes  of  serious  or  hor- 
rible character  were  committed. 

2.    The  Police 

To  meet  this  situation  we  have  1,400  police  patrol- 
men and  a  goodly  number  of  detectives.  Our  police 
board  is  under  state  control,  and  so  long  as  it  can 
be  kept  out  of  partisan  politics,  it  is  a  fairly  success- 
ful institution.  There  are  a  sufficient  number  of  police 
stations  to  hold  arrested  men,  but  as  the  courts  are 
now  centrally  located,  prisoners  must  all  be  taken  to 
the  Municipal  Courts  Building  for  trial.  There  are 
located  the  three  court-rooms  of  the  Circuit  Court, 
which  handles  felony  cases;  the  two  branches  of  the 
Court  of  Criminal  Correction,  dealing  with  misde- 
meanors; and  the  two  police,  or  city,  courts  in  which 
violations  of  municipal  ordinances  are  handled.  The 
police  are  a  powerful  force  for  good  or  ill  in  this 
or  any  city.  While  physical  qualifications  are  im- 
portant, social  and  moral  requisites  are  even  more 
so.  Unfortunately  we  emphasize  the  physical,  and 
require  certain  education  and  knowledge  of  the  city, 
but  do  not  look  upon  the  police  as  a  great  social  service 


i&j  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

institution,  capable  not  only  of  arresting  law  violators 
but  of  conserving  peace  and  order  and  actually  raising 
standards  in  a  community.  The  police  might  make 
us  all  better  men  and  women.  However,  we  do  not 
insist  on  qualifications  commensurate  with  their  duties 
and  opportunities.  Many  men  are  needlessly  rough ; 
others  have  low  ideals  and  cannot  inspire  good  con- 
duct. Nevertheless,  the  police  are  a  more  competent 
body  at  present  than  ever  before  in  the  city.  They 
cling  more  tenaciously  to  duty,  and  are  less  influenced 
by  political  or  other  external  influences  than  formerly. 
But  we  need  to  look  forward.  Although  we  require 
a  civil  service  test  of  applicants,  we  must  insist  that 
politicians  keep  away;  and  we  must  develop  a  right 
attitude  of  mind,  that  of  recognizing  the  police  as  a 
useful  social  agency  to  be  respected  and  regarded  with 
a  dignity  appropriate  to  their  position.  Policemen 
would  not  then  be  humiliated  in  our  courts  or  become 
reluctant  to  arrest  dangerous  law-breakers.  Some 
progress  has  recently  been  made  by  the  appointment 
of  five  policewomen.  Their  work  will  include  much 
social  service  and  they  may  become  the  leaven  that 
will  benefit  the  entire  system. 

3.    City  Courts 

Serious  complaints  have  been  made  against  our 
city  courts.  The  judges  are  appointed  by  the  mayor 
and  their  powers  are  limited  to  the  imposition  of  fines. 
All  arrests  for  city  cases,  except  those  released,  are 
brought  before  these  courts.  The  records  show  that 
the  great  majority  of  offenders  are  dismissed  and, 
therefore,  that  crime  goes  unpunished.  Every  arrest 
represents  some  crime,  whether  the  guilty  individual  is 


VICE  AND  CRIME  185 

caught  or  not.  Nevertheless  the  fines  indicate  that  the 
great  majority  of  perpetrators  of  petty  crimes  go  en- 
tirely unpunished.  If,  therefore,  punishment  is  either 
a  constructive  factor  or  a  deterrent  of  crime,  we  are 
simply  aiding  lawlessness  by  refusing  to  deal  ade- 
quately with  our  problems.  The  situation  is  partly 
complicated  by  laws  that  deal  unfairly  with  the  poor. 
If  a  poor  man  is  convicted  of  crime  and  fined,  he  must 
either  pay  the  fine  or  accept  a  workhouse  sentence  at 
the  rate  of  one  day  for  every  $3.00  of  fine.  Usually 
he  cannot  pay;  so  he  goes  to  the  workhouse,  starts  a 
prison  record,  and  begins  on  his  downward  career. 
The  rich  man  draws  the  fine  from  his  pocket  and 
violates  the  law  as  he  races  homeward.  The  police 
court  is  an  adventure  for  the  well-to-do,  but  a  system 
of  imprisonment  for  debt  for  the  poor.  For  this 
reason  the  poor  frequently  are  given  another  chance 
without  fine. 

The  judges  of  the  Courts  of  Criminal  Correction  are 
elected  by  the  people.  They  handle  misdemeanors, 
that  is,  the  less  serious  state  offenses,  and  also  appeals 
from  the  city  courts.  The  wife  desertion  and  non- 
support  cases  belong  here,  but  owing  to  the  lack  of  a 
proper  system  of  investigating  them,  little  constructive 
work  is  done  for  the  unfortunate  women  concerned. 
Immoral  women  whose  cases  are  appealed  from  the 
lower  courts  are  retried  here  as  entirely  new  cases, 
and  in  the  majority  of  instances  acquitted,  although 
convicted  in  the  city  court.  The  chief  needs  in  this 
court  are  better  machinery  for  securing  information, 
and  judges  with  a  greater  appreciation  of  the  socio- 
logical value  of  their  service.  The  great  majority  of 
arrested  men  are  dismissed,  either  before  or  after 


186  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

trial.     The  remainder  are  punished  with  fines,  proba- 
tion, workhouse,  or  parole. 

4.    Board  of  Parole  and  Probation 

The  Board  of  Parole  and  Probation  was  established 
in  1913  in  order  to  give  more  systematic  and  scientific 
treatment  to  the  offender  against  municipal  ordinances. 
A  chief  probation  officer  and  several  assistants  have 
since  been  appointed.  This  staff  has  charge  of  the 
probation  and  parole  cases.  Offenders  who  are  very 
young,  have  not  committed  crime  before,  have  families 
dependent  on  them,  or  have  other  circumstances  in 
their  favor  are  usually  placed  on  probation  rather  than 
sent  to  the  workhouse.  The  law  unfortunately  allows 
the  man  to  remain  on  probation  only  so  long  as  he 
would  otherwise  have  been  retained  in  the  workhouse. 
In  no  case  of  a  violation  of  municipal  ordinance  can 
this  be  more  than  one  hundred  days.  Therefore  the 
probation  period  is  all  too  short  for  effective  work.  In 
most  cases  the  fines  are  low,  and  at  the  rate  of  $3.00 
per  day,  the  workhouse  sentence  or  probation  period 
is  hardly  more  than  two  weeks.  Offenders  who  have 
been  jarred  into  a  state  of  reasonable  introspection  in 
the  workhouse  are  frequently  released  on  parole  before 
the  expiration  of  their  sentence,  when  such  action 
seems  generally  advisable  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
dependent  family  and  from  the  probable  effect  on  the 
character  of  the  offender.  During  the  year  1915-16, 
1,295  persons  were  placed  on  probation,  and  including 
the  paroled  and  special  cases,  the  total  number  handled 
by  the  Board  was  1,469.  The  great  majority  of  these 
persons,  through  the  systematic  friendship  afforded 
by  the  probation  officers,  the  new  routine  of  their 


VICE  AND  CRIME  187 

lives,  and  the  responsibilities  placed  on  them,  were 
clearly  improved  morally.  A  small  number  were  not, 
and  other  methods  of  care  are  necessary  for  these. 

The  Board  has  also  been  instrumental  in  collecting 
money  from  men  who  fail  to  support  their  wives  and 
families.  In  one  year  over  $2,000  were  collected  in 
this  way  and  turned  over  to  the  wives.  An  exten- 
sion of  this  system,  so  as  to  make  more  preliminary 
investigations  possible  and  more  frequent  "  follow-up  " 
work,  would  improve  most  effectually  the  treatment 
of  these  men,  and  would  mean  much  to  humanity  in 
improved  character  and  better  modes  of  living.  Legis- 
lation which  would  enable  the  judges  to  place  men  on 
probation  long  enough  to  give  the  Board  a  real  oppor- 
tunity to  reform  or  improve  them  is  another  urgent 
need. 

5.    The  Workhouse 

Perhaps  the  most  conspicuous  handicap  in  our  entire 
local  system  of  penological  treatment  is  our  antiquated 
workhouse.  Situated  on  the  South  Side  near  the 
Mississippi  river,  it  comprises  about  seventeen  acres 
of  land.  The  chief  industrial  operation  is  that  of  the 
quarry.  As  is  well  known,  many  workmen  are  not 
physically  capable  of  this  kind  of  work  and  its  value 
for  character  development  is  uncertain.  As  a  natural 
consequence  some  prisoners  have  no  opportunity  at  all 
for  work,  and  those  who  do  are  not  highly  successful. 
In  fact,  a  low  level  of  efficiency  is  reported  from  the 
quarry — exactly  what  should  be  expected.  Further- 
more the  serviceability  of  the  quarry  is  almost  at  an 
end.  Apart  from  the  buildings  and  the  yard,  most 
of  the  remainder  of  the  grounds  is  devoted  to  garden. 


188  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

Here  there  is  opportunity  for  a  limited  amount  of 
work,  but  not  for  the  development  of  a  general  plan 
of  employment.  Furthermore,  the  buildings  are  not 
adequate  for  the  care  of  inmates.  Proper  hospital 
facilities  are  wanting;  and  the  recently  built  cellhouse, 
with  its  cells  through  the  middle  of  the  room  and  the 
aisles  around  the  outside  along  the  walls — an  arrange- 
ment that  forces  the  inmates  to  live  in  the  darkest 
part  of  the  building — is  a  reproach  to  the  city  and 
a  former  administration.  Again,  the  institution  offers 
but  little  for  the  rehabilitation  of  the  women,  thus 
making  an  enlightened  plan  of  care  for  them  absolutely 
impossible. 

The  workhouse  receives  from  the  city  courts  persons 
unable  to  pay  their  fines ;  from  the  Courts  of  Criminal 
Correction,  similar  groups,  as  well  as  persons  guilty 
of  minor  state  offenses;  and  from  the  Circuit  courts 
persons  whom  it  is  not  judged  wise  to  send  to  the 
state  prison.  During  the  year  ending  April  30,  1915, 
the  total  number  of  commitments  was  2,600,  with  a 
daily  average  population  of  426.  The  great  majority 
were  single  men  and  gave  their  occupation  as  "  la- 
borer," a  fact  which  indicates  the  close  dependency  of 
crime  on  economic  and  conjugal  conditions.  During 
the  three  years  1913-16,  out  of  2,738  different  persons 
entering  the  workhouse,  1,120  were  sent  two  or  more 
times,  one  man  actually  coming  for  the  thirtieth  time. 
Is  it  not  time  that  we  remedy  the  defect  in  our  system 
which  makes  such  successive  demoralization  possible? 

6.    Clinic 

Among  the  needs  are  a  psychopathic  clinic  to  which 
all  cases  of  doubtful  mentality  and  sanity  can  be  re- 


VICE  AND  CRIME  189 

ferred  for  proper  diagnosis.  Many  of  the  repeaters 
are  feeble-minded  and  should  be  treated  accordingly. 
One  can  practically  predict  the  repetitions  in  these 
cases.  Persons  suffering  from  disease  need  appro- 
priate care  and  treatment  also.  The  drunkard,  the 
immoral  woman,  the  kleptomaniac,  and  other  classes 
all  need  the  careful  attention  of  the  expert,  and  if 
that  is  given,  the  handling  of  the  cases  is  greatly 
simplified.  The  Police  Board  has  recently  considered 
establishing  such  a  clinic  on  a  small  scale. 

7.    Municipal  Farm 

In  the  second  place  we  need  a  municipal  farm. 
Perhaps  no  one  need  in  our  whole  plan  of  care  for 
criminals  would  mean  so  much  for  the  morality  of  the 
unfortunate  ones.  A  farm  of  a  thousand  acres  or 
more  with  suitable  buildings,  similar  to  the  institution 
at  Occaquan  maintained  by  Washington,  D.  C.,  would 
accomplish  real  reforms.  Men  and  women  would  be 
physically  rehabilitated ;  their  country  life  would  result 
in  mental  and  spiritual  exuberance ;  the  occupations 
would  be  elevating  and  helpful;  and  when  they  left 
the  institution  they  would  show  signs  of  a  genuine 
reformation.  The  best  type  of  municipal  farm  re- 
quires no  prison  walls  but  practically  places  the  men 
on  their  honor;  and  by  so  living,  men  begin  to  believe 
in  themselves  as  well  as  to  respect  the  rights  of  society. 
Experience  furnishes  conclusive  evidence  of  the  good 
effect  of  enlightened  treatment  of  offenders  in  institu- 
tions of  this  kind.  The  efficient  superintendent  of  our 
institution  has  long  recognized  the  need,  but  the  city 
has  not  given  him  the  equipment  and  facilities  required 
to  make  the  workhouse  a  success.  Meanwhile  we  con- 


igo  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

tinue  to  deform  character  instead  of  making  men  and 
women.  Has  the  church  a  natural  or  logical  part  in 
the  development  of  agencies  that  will  improve  the 
morality  of  the  minor  offender?  If  so,  here  is  an 
opportunity. 

8.    State  Prison 

In  a  similar  way  we  do  not  deal  fairly  with  the 
serious  offender  or  penitentiary  case.  We  have  no 
reformatory  for  adult  first  offenders,  but  throw  them 
together  with  the  hardened  criminals  into  the  largest 
penitentiary  in  the  United  States.  It  has  more  than 
2,500  inmates  and  occupies  only  fourteen  acres.  Here 
the  contract  system  of  prison  labor,  with  its  demoraliz- 
ing effects,  prevailed  until  January,  1917.  Cruel 
punishments  within  recent  years  have  been  reported. 
The  last  governor  did  not  allow  the  State  Board  of 
Charities  to  investigate  conditions  and  report  publicly 
thereon.  Here  the  spoils  system  is  in  vogue  and 
modern  prison  reform  has  hardly  obtained  a  footing. 
Here  tuberculosis  claims  its  many  victims.  Nor  do 
we  have  an  indeterminate  sentence  to  enable  us  to 
handle  the  criminal  according  to  his  character.  Our 
system  of  fixed  sentences  has  its  exact  analogy  in  such 
a  situation  as  would  be  involved  if  a  man  were  sent  to 
a  hospital  for  a  fixed  number  of  days  and  then  dis- 
missed whether  sick  or  well.  Is  it  any  wonder  that 
revolt  against  such  conditions  is  spreading?  Can  the 
Christian  people  remain  quiet  while  ruthless  spoils- 
men wreck  and  ruin  men? 

After  waiting  until  men  are  almost  destroyed  in 
character  and  in  soul  we  inconsistently  work  through 
the  Society  for  the  Care  of  Discharged  Prisoners  to 


VICE  AND  CRIME  191 

help  those  whom  we  have  nearly  ruined.  The  state 
Society  has  had  a  branch  in  this  city,  supported  largely 
by  contributions  from  Protestant  sources.  It  has 
found  employment  for  many  men  and  extended  aid 
in  other  ways,  but  has  recently  been  discontinued.  The 
Protestant  Episcopal  Churches  have  detailed  one  of 
their  clergy  to  visit  the  city  institutions.  This  man 
meets  many  prisoners  and  aids  them  to  opportunity 
and  better  living.  There  is  a  Roman  Catholic  society 
also,  which  comes  in  touch  with  the  men  at  the  peni- 
tentiary, but  its  results  have  been  unimportant. 

//.    The  Social  Evil 
i.    Abandonment  of  Segregation 

The  social  evil  has  ever  been  a  serious  problem  and 
the  end  is  not  yet.  St.  Louis  has,  however,  made  tre- 
mendous strides  within  the  last  few  years.  Formerly 
there  were  two  segregated  districts,  but  one  of  them 
was  closed  by  the  police  board  in  1912.  The  other  and 
larger  district  was  gradually  brought  under  more 
rigid  control,  and  finally,  on  March  I,  1914,  it  was 
also  closed.  Final  closing  was  brought  about  partly 
as  a  result  of  the  then  newly  formed  Committee  of 
One  Hundred  for  the  Suppression  of  Commercialized 
Vice.  This  organization  published  a  memorial  setting 
forth  the  facts  and  presented  a  strong  argument  in 
favor  of  the  abolition  of  the  district.  The  action  taken 
has  been  duplicated  in  most  of  the  large  cities  in  recent 
years  and  for  similar  reasons.  It  has  been  shown  that 
so-called  segregation  was  a  farce,  that  the  district  was 
a  clearing  house  for  vice,  that  immoral  women  lived 
throughout  the  city  and  plied  their  trade  widely,  that 
such  a  system  accentuated  the  evil,  encouraged  white 


192  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

slavery,  and  made  immorality  a  tolerated  vice.  Ex- 
perience in  Europe  and  America  has  everywhere  been 
the  same,  and  the  presence  of  a  tolerated  district  in 
defiance  of  law  is  now  clearly  known  to  be  demoraliz- 
ing to  the  ideals  of  the  community  and  the  habits  of 
its  people. 

2.    Action  of  the  Courts 

Of  the  309  women  affected  by  the  closing  order 
the  majority  left  St.  Louis,  but  many  moved  to  other 
portions  of  the  city.  Efforts  to  reach  the  women  and 
to  reform  them  proved  quite  abortive.  Here,  if  any- 
where, the  maxim  holds  that  "  an  ounce  of  prevention 
is  worth  a  pound  of  cure."  The  police  have  tried  to 
carry  out  their  part  of  the  task  faithfully  and  between 
March  i  and  October  22,  1914,  arrested  1,294  persons, 
mostly  women,  for  offenses  connected  with  the  evil, 
but  their  efforts  were  largely  unsuccessful  because  of 
the  disposition  of  the  cases.  Less  than  one  fourth 
of  the  women  were  convicted.  While  fines  were  as- 
sessed to  the  amount  of  $5,300,  less  than  $350  was 
actually  collected,  most  of  the  fines  being  remitted  by 
the  judges.  Furthermore,  the  ease  with  which  persons 
convicted  in  the  city  courts  could  secure  acquittal  on 
appeal  to  the  Courts  of  Criminal  Correction  gave  the 
forces  of  evil  such  boldness  and  resisting  power  that 
our  advance  has  been  much  slower  than  it  would  be 
if  progressive,  law-enforcing  judges  were  on  the  bench. 

The  action  of  the  attorneys  handling  cases  for  the 
city  is  subject  to  severe  criticism.  Frequently  the 
prosecuting  witness,  especially  if  a  policeman,  has  been 
subjected  to  a  cross-fire  of  questions  as  though  he 
were  the  defendant  instead  of  a  witness.  The  atti- 


VICE  AND  CRIME  193 

tude  of  the  courts  and  officials  in  connection  with  the 
solution  of  the  social  evil  needs  the  careful  attention 
of  the  religious  forces  of  the  community. 

The  figures  for  1914-15  show  that  during  the  year 
1,197  different  women  were  arrested  on  charges  con- 
nected with  immorality. 

Again,  only  a  small  number,  26.8  per  cent.,  were 
convicted;  then  the  fines  of  the  majority  of  these  were 
stayed,  so  that  the  percentage  of  the  arrested  women 
that  were  punished  was  only  eight,  that  is,  one  out  of 
every  twelve.  The  fines  assessed  amounted  to  $15,000, 
but  the  amount  collected  was  $2,320,  less  than  one 
sixth  of  the  total.  Particularly  significant  is  the  fact 
that  only  one  third  of  the  cases  appealed  to  the  higher 
courts  resulted  in  conviction  and  that  in  the  majority 
of  these  cases,  fines  were  stayed,  less  than  seven  per 
cent,  being  punished.  Why  should  there  be  such 
discrepancy  between  the  city  courts  and  the  Courts  of 
Criminal  Correction? 

St.  Louis  is  deficient  in  its  provisions  for  the  care 
of  the  female  offenders.  It  is  of  little  value  to  send 
convicted  women  to  the  workhouse  for  a  few  days  or 
weeks.  We  need  a  modern  municipal  reformatory 
where  women  can  be  physically  and  morally  improved, 
and  we  need  legal  power  to  send  them  there  for  a 
year  or  more,  so  that  reformatory  influences  can  be- 
come effective.  Good  results  have  been  achieved  in 
New  York,  Massachusetts,  and  elsewhere.  Why  not 
in  St.  Louis? 

In  a  large  number  of  cases,  depraved  and  immoral 
men  derive  much  profit  from  the  operations  of  the 
women — in  fact,  compel  them  to  turn  over  the  major 
portion  of  their  earnings  in  compensation  for  alleged 


194  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

protection  in  court,  and  perhaps  from  the  police. 
Wherever  such  protection  exists  the  conviction  of  the 
women  is  difficult,  and,  furthermore,  the  morally  guilty 
offenders  are  the  men  who  force  the  women  into  a  life 
of  shame.  Nevertheless,  the  conviction  of  these  men 
has  heretofore  been  practically  impossible. 

3.    Reformatory  Measures 

One  of  the  greatest  needs  in  this  state  is  an  injunc- 
tion and  abatement  law  whereby  houses  of  ill  repute 
can  be  forced  out  of  existence  by  the  simple  applica- 
tion of  injunction  proceedings.  By  this  method  the 
burden  is  placed  on  property,  and,  as  a  result,  property 
owners  favor  making  a  district  respectable  instead  of 
disreputable.  When  business  fights  on  the  side  of 
morality  the  goal  is  more  easily  attained.  About  fifteen 
states  have  enacted  such  laws,  and  their  moral  con- 
ditions have  been  greatly  improved.  The  local  Com- 
mittee of  One  Hundred,  the  Church  Federation,  and 
kindred  organizations  in  the  other  large  cities  of  the 
state  attempted  to  secure  the  passage  of  such  a  bill 
in  the  Legislature  of  1915,  but  were  unsuccessful, 
because  moral  sentiment  was  not  definitely  crystallized. 
The  conscience  of  the  community  must  be  aroused : 

1.  To  secure  the  enactment  of  an  injunction  law. 

2.  To  insist  upon  proper  reformatory  provision  for 

delinquent  women. 

3.  To  make  the  courts  enforce  the  law. 

4.  To  secure  the  conviction  of  the  immoral  men 

who  corrupt  women. 

5.  To  develop  sentiment  against  the  social  evil  in 

all  its  forms. 

6.  To  find  proper  recreation  and  social  opportuni- 


VICE  AND  CRIME  195 

ties  for  young  men,  so  that  they  will  not  come 
in  contact  with  the  demoralizing  women  of 
the  street,  nor  yield  to  their  temptations. 

7.  To  provide  boys  and  girls  with  appropriate  sex 

education. 

8.  To  remove  the  social  as  well  as  the  individual 

causes  of  sex  immorality. 

9.  To  promote  the  single  standard  of  morality. 

///.    Intemperance 
i.    Magnitude  of  Evil 

Intemperance  and  its  chief  ally,  the  saloon,  are 
problems  of  such  magnitude  that  they  require  an  ex- 
tensive consideration.  During  the  four  years  ending 
January  31,  1914,  31,197  arrests  were  made  in  St. 
Louis  on  the  charge  of  drunkenness,  or  an  average 
of  7,799  per  year.  Furthermore,  10,012  drunken 
persons  were  sent  home  and  many  were  taken  directly 
to  the  City  Hospital ;  while  hundreds  were  arrested  on 
other  charges,  such  as  disorderly  conduct.  In  1915-16, 
5,359  persons  were  arrested  for  drunkenness,  but  more 
than  3,000  were  either  sent  home  or  taken  to  the  dis- 
pensary. Many  drunken  persons  also  are  either  not 
seen  or  are  not  molested  by  the  police,  and  therefore 
we  have  no  knowledge  whatever  of  the  actual  amount 
of  drunkenness  that  occurs.  Intemperance  is  an  in- 
calculable vice  and  the  most  common  crime.  Its  rela- 
tion to  poverty,  feeble-mindedness,  insanity,  and  dis- 
ease make  it  an  appalling  curse.  Nevertheless  we  must 
not  forget  that  besides  being  a  cause  it  is  also  an  effect. 
Again  we  have  the  fact  of  the  personality  and  the 
stimulus.  Some  men  become  intemperate  because  the 
constant  contact  of  a  bad  environment  develops  in  them 


ig6  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

an  insatiable  appetite  for  liquor.  Here  the  external 
stimulus  has  been  the  decisive  factor  in  a  man's  down- 
fall. There  are  other  men  whose  lack  of  will-power 
and  whose  perverted  appetite  are  reflected  by  a  con- 
dition of  alcoholism.  Here  constitutional  weakness 
or  personal  defects  are  the  important  factor,  and  alco- 
holism merely  reflects  a  subnormal  state  of  body  and 
of  mind.  The  evils  of  intemperance  can  hardly  be 
exaggerated,  but  sins  not  chargeable  against  them  must 
not  be  improperly  classed  as  a  result.  Wipe  out  in- 
temperance to-morrow — much  poverty  will  remain, 
people  will  still  become  insane,  and  children  be  born 
feeble-minded.  To  improve  mankind  it  is  necessary 
to  give  proper  weight  to  every  influence  that  depraves 
or  degrades,  and  not  to  allow  our  prejudice  to  play 
havoc  with  scientific  accuracy. 

2.   Treatment  of  Drunken  Persons 

Intemperance  as  a  practical  problem  takes  several 
concrete  forms:  first,  the  treatment  of  the  drunkard; 
second,  the  elimination  of  drunkenness;  third,  the 
elimination  of  intoxicants. 

Drunken  persons  when  arrested,  except  the  women, 
are  gathered  into  a  central  place  known  as  the  "  In- 
ebriate Ward."  Here  they  remain  over  night  or  until 
they  have  become  sober.  Formerly  some  of  the  men 
were  made  suddenly  sober  by  artificial  medical  means, 
but  this  painful  process  has  been  abandoned.  The 
advantages  of  the  present  system  are :  medical  care  can 
be  given  to  all ;  repeaters  are  recognized  more  easily ; 
drunken  men  are  separated  from  other  criminals ;  and 
better  records,  giving  social  facts  and  histories  of  the 
men,  can  be  procured. 


VICE  AND  CRIME  IQ7 

Notwithstanding  this  good  beginning,  an  excessive 
leniency  continues  in  the  dismissal  of  practically  two 
thirds  of  the  men  when  they  have  become  sober.  They 
are  freed,  the  city  having  done  nothing  except  take 
them  in  charge  and  assist  them  to  a  condition  of  so- 
briety. The  remaining  one  third  are  brought  into 
the  City  Court  for  trial.  Of  this  number  about  four 
out  of  five  are  convicted,  but  the  judges  remit  the  fines 
of  practically  one  half,  or  merely  require  the  payment 
of  costs  (usually  $3.00).  A  considerable  number  are 
asked  to  leave  town,  this  group  being  composed  of 
transient,  single,  or  deserting  men ;  and  other  localities 
are  expected  to  grapple  with  the  problem.  A  few  are 
placed  on  probation  and  about  one  out  of  four  is  sent 
to  the  workhouse.  The  remainder,  with  the  exceotion 
of  the  few  placed  on  probation,  are  released.  True, 
in  many  cases,  fines  are  stayed  on  good  behavior,  but 
there  is  no  machinery  to  observe  and  judge  the  be- 
havior, and  nothing  happens  unless  the  man  generously 
allows  himself  to  be  caught  again.  Fines  are  limited 
to  $20.00  each,  a  sum  which,  with  the  costs,  limits 
the  workhouse  sentence  or  the  probation  period  to 
seven  days.  How  much  can  be  done  in  that  time  to 
reform  a  drunkard  is  a  question  that  needs  no  dis- 
cussion. The  absolute  folly  of  the  present  system 
is  at  .once  apparent.  We  need  legislation  whereby  a 
drunkard  may  be  committed  to  an  appropriate  insti- 
tution on  an  indeterminate  sentence  of  not  to  exceed 
three  years,  with  provision  for  the  permanent  deten- 
tion of  incurable  alcoholics  similar  to  our  provision 
for  the  insane.  Probation  cases  should  be  under  con- 
trol, not  seven  days,  but  for  a  minimum  period  of  one 
year ;  then  results  might  be  obtained.  Finally,  we  need 


198  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

an  appropriate  institution — a  municipal  farm  under 
skilled  management,  as  suggested  elsewhere ,  in  this 
chapter. 

3.  Social  Conditions  of  Arrested  Persons 

Manual  laborers  comprise  three  fourths  of  the  men 
arrested  for  drunkenness,  a  proportion  twice  that  of 
the  same  group  to  the  employed  population.  Most  of 
them  are  single  and  many  live  in  the  cheap  lodging 
houses.  Intemperance  is  clearly  one  of  many  vices 
contracted  by  most  of  these  men.  Among  the  women, 
however,  we  find  that  a  large  majority  have  been 
married,  but  many  are  widowed,  divorced,  separated, 
or  deserted.  Frequently  they  live  alone,  but  often  in 
immoral  ways  with  low-lived  men.  Drunkenness  is 
not  so  prevalent  among  either  the  negroes  or  the 
foreigners  as  among  our  own  native  Americans,  al- 
though certain  immigrant  groups  are  strongly  inclined 
to  drink. 

The  development  of  temperate  habits  rests  partly 
on  the  foundation  laid  in  family  and  home,  and  on 
the  preparation  made  for  gaining  a  livelihood.  In- 
temperance breaks  up  families,  but  ill-founded  homes 
promote  intemperance.  Intemperance  causes  poverty 
but  poverty  leads  to  intemperance. 

4.  Saloons 

Number.  The  saloon  is  the  most  important  ex- 
ternal influence  affecting  intemperance.  St.  Louis  has 
nearly  2,300  saloons — one  for  every  335  persons,  prac- 
tically a  saloon  for  every  100  men.  The  laws  of  Mis- 
souri do  not  prohibit  saloons  within  a  certain  distance 
of  churches  and  schools,  as  is  the  case  in  many  states, 


VICE  AND  CRIME  199 

but  local  ordinances  do  protect  certain  parks.  Beyond 
this  regulation  all  power  rests  with  the  excise  com- 
missioner who  may,  at  his  discretion,  regulate  these 
conditions ;  thus  the  people  are  left  at  the  mercy  of  the 
public  official. 

Dramshop  License.  In  order  to  obtain  a  saloon 
or  dramshop  license,  an  application  for  such  license 
must  be  supported  by  a  majority  of  assessed  tax-pay- 
ing citizens  (males)  and  guardians  of  minors  owning 
property  in  the  block  where  the  saloon  is  to  be  located. 
Each  block,  therefore,  has  the  power  to  determine 
whether  it  shall  have  a  saloon  or  not,  but  people  in  an 
adjoining  block  across  the  street  from  a  saloon  have 
no  voice  in  the  matter. 

The  citizens  may  present  a  counter  petition  signed 
by  persons  objecting  to  the  saloon,  and  the  excise  com- 
missioner may,  although  the  affirmative  petition  has 
the  names  of  the  majority  of  qualified  signers,  decide 
that  the  opposition  is  sufficiently  extensive  to  justify 
withholding  the  license ;  but  if  two  thirds  of  the  tax- 
paying  citizens  who  are  registered  voters  sign  a  peti- 
tion, the  license  must  be  granted.  We  have,  therefore, 
a  form  of  local  option,  using  the  smallest  possible  unit 
as  a  basis,  one  that  does  not  deter  or  prevent  any  one 
from  obtaining  intoxicating  liquor  and  that  has  mean- 
ing chiefly  as  it  affects  property  values.  As  a  result, 
saloons  are  thickly  concentrated  in  the  downtown  sec- 
tions and  along  certain  thoroughfares  and  at  con- 
venient corners ;  but  many  residence  sections  are  also 
liberally  sprinkled  with  them.  How  large  a  propor- 
tion of  licenses  are  secured  after  full  compliance  with 
the  law,  or  how  many  signatures  by  citizens  are  un- 
authorized, it  is  difficult  to  say.  The  excise  depart- 


200  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

ment  cannot  authenticate  signatures,  but  citizens  should 
watch  such  proceedings  most  carefully.  Inasmuch  as 
a  petition  must  be  signed  before  a  saloon  can  be  estab- 
lished, a  majority  of  the  property  owners  in  the  block 
must  know  of  the  intentions  of  the  applicant. 

The  annual  license  fee  required  in  St.  Louis  is 
ridiculously  small.  The  state  fee  is  $500  and  that 
for  the  city,  $300,  a  total  of  $800,  besides  the  small 
tax  of  $25  paid  to  the  federal  government.  A  license 
of  $1,200  to  $1,500  is  the  least  that  should  be  required. 

Closing  Hours.  Again,  many  advantages  are  given 
the  saloon  in  regard  to  closing  hours.  It  may  remain 
open  from  5  A.M.  to  i  A.M.,  but  must  be  closed  on 
Sunday.  Many  saloons  open  at  midnight  on  Sunday 
and  operate  for  one  hour.  Thirsty  men  in  various 
parts  of  the  city  eagerly  await  the  stroke  of  twelve 
so  that  their  thirst  may  be  abated  before  the  morning. 
These  hours  are  all  too  long.  Other  commercial  enter- 
prises, except  those  that  meet  a  never-ending  neces- 
sity, such  as  hotels  and  restaurants,  do  not  maintain 
such  hours.  There  are  many  good  reasons  for  assum- 
ing that  an  eight,  nine,  or  ten  o'clock  hour  is  late 
enough.  Such  regulations  have  been  established  else- 
where. Why  not  here? 

Social  Clubs.  This  city  has  long  suffered  from  a 
variety  of  social  club  commonly  known  as  a  "  lid  club," 
where  intoxicants  may  be  obtained  on  Sundays  when 
the  regular  saloons  are  closed.  The  law  courts  and 
administrative  officials  have  gradually  restricted  the 
activities  of  social  clubs  until  conditions  such  as  the 
following  obtain: 

Clubs  that  sell  liquor,  whether  it  is  served  only  on  a 
table  with  food  or  at  a  bar,  are  required  to  secure  a 


VICE  AND  CRIME  20! 

license.  Many  respectable  clubs  have  discontinued  the 
handling  of  liquors.  ,  _,. 

A  second  variety  of  club  allows  each  member  to 
deposit  liquor  in  a  private  locker  in  the  club  rooms. 
Waiters  will  bring  to  a  member  a  glass  of  intoxicants 
from  this  locker ;  but  since  the  man  technically  does 
not  buy  any  liquor  at  the  club,  the  dramshop  license  is 
not  required,  and  service  on  Sundays  is  not  prohibited 
or  at  least  not  prevented. 

Again,  a  group  of  men  may  regularly  buy  and  pay 
for  quantities  of  liquor  on  Saturdays  to  be  consumed 
at  the  club  headquarters  on  Sundays;  and  as  a  conse- 
quence they  are  frequently  transformed  into  a  bois- 
terous set  of  ruffians. 

Although  the  law  aimed  to  prevent  traffic  in  intoxi- 
cants on  Sundays,  it  is  clear  that  the  methods  of  eva- 
sion practised  by  some  social  clubs  are  demoralizing 
and  conducive  to  intemperance.  Furthermore,  they 
often  result  in  the  committing  of  serious  crime. 

Wine  Rooms.  Another  problem  of  long  standing 
is  the  "  wine  room "  evil.  Connected  with  many 
saloons  by  a  rear  door  is  a  separate  room  with  tables 
where  liquor  is  served,  but  no  food.  This  room 
usually  has  a  door  opening  directly  to  the  street.  Here 
congregate  men  and  women  who  sit  down  at  tables 
and  are  served  with  intoxicating  liquors.  In  actual 
practise  these  places  are  recruiting  stations  of  vice, 
being  frequented  by  few  women  except  the  immoral 
women  of  the  street.  Some  years  ago,  by  ruling  of  the 
excise  commissioner,  no  women  were  allowed  in  these 
rooms,  on  the  ground  that  their  presence  practically 
made  such  saloons  disorderly  houses,  although  there 
is  no  provision  of  law  forbidding  the  presence  of 


202  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

women  in  wine  rooms  and  saloons.  As  a  result  the 
wine  rooms  disappeared,  and  the  moral  conditions  of 
saloons  were  much  improved.  A  reversal  of  this  rul- 
ing brought  many  so-called  wine  rooms  into  exist- 
ence, a  condition  which  bodes  no  good  for  the  morals 
of  the  young  men  of  the  city  and  directly  conduces  to 
a  continuation  of  the  social  evil.  The  return  to  the 
wine  room  marked  a  serious  retrogression  in  policy, 
and  indicated  the  ascendency  of  the  liquor  forces  and 
lack  of  interest  or  of  influence  on  the  part  of  the 
churches.  The  present  excise  commissioner  has  adopted 
a  progressive  policy,  thereby  practically  eliminating  the 
"  wine  room  "  evil  for  the  time  being. 

Saloons  and  the  Sunday  Closing  Law.  During 
the  spring  of  1916  evidence  collected  by  a  Committee 
of  the  Evangelical  Alliance  showed  that  many  saloons 
were  operating  on  Sundays,  in  clandestine  ways,  to  be 
sure,  but  nevertheless  serving  customers  who  under- 
stood how  to  find  doors  open.  The  police  arrested  a 
considerable  number  of  dramshop  keepers.  In  one 
case  they  found  three  men  crouching  down  behind  the 
bar  in  a  saloon,  one  of  them  holding  a  lighted  candle. 
The  keeper  said  he  was  showing  his  friends  the  plumb- 
ing, but  the  police  explained  the  situation  otherwise. 

Additional  Features.  The  most  orderly  type  of 
saloon  is  that  which  is  connected  with  a  grocery  store. 
Here  one  does  not  find  crowds  engaging  in  boisterous 
carousal ;  such  establishments  are  patronized  to  a  large 
extent  by  families  in  the  neighborhood  who  send  for 
a  pail  of  beer  to  drink  at  home.  Nevertheless,  many 
small  children  thus  get  glimpses  of  saloon  conditions 
and  become  callous  to  the  sights.  One  inducement 
offered  by  many  saloons  is  toilet  facilities,  the  function 


VICE  AND  CRIME  203 

of  a  comfort  station.  Too  often  there  is  no  other  pro- 
vision, and  men  are  obliged  to  turn  to  the  saloon. 
Many  down-town  saloons  furthermore  provide  lunches 
at  nominal  cost  and  appeal  by  this  means  to  certain 
types  of  individuals.  The  summer  beer  garden,  or 
pleasure  garden  as  it  may  be  called,  is  an  additional 
attraction  provided  by  many  saloon-keepers, — an  at- 
tempt to  appeal  especially  to  young  couples  and  also 
to  family  parties.  Liquor  is  sold  in  connection  with 
some  dance  halls. 

Apart  from  the  drunkenness  that  the  saloon  directly 
occasions,  the  greatest  evil  brought  on  by  the  liquor 
traffic  is  political  control.  The  saloons  and  the  brewer- 
ies back  of  them  are  in  politics.  They  can  depend  on 
a  set  of  "  rounders  "  and  patrons,  and  together  they 
exert  a  strong  influence  on  the  political  parties.  Di- 
vorce the  saloon  from  politics,  and  the  most  degrad- 
ing influence  to  which  politics  is  subjected  has  been 
removed. 

Control  of  the  Liquor  Traffic.  The  churches 
must  face  this  question  fearlessly ;  but  in  this  city  they 
have  thus  far  attempted  neither  to  formulate  nor  to 
carry  out  a  definite  program  except  as  the  Anti-Saloon 
League  may  be  considered  an  arm  of  the  churches. 
As  far  as  the  final  fate  of  the  liquor  traffic  is  con- 
cerned they  can  give  but  one  answer :  the  commercial 
saloon  must  be  abolished  and  the  liquor  traffic  de- 
stroyed. 

In  1910  the  prohibitory  amendment  to  the  state 
Constitution  was  rejected  by  a  majority  of  218,000, 
and  in  1916  by  about  122,000.  Although  considerable 
sentiment  in  favor  of  the  amendment  has  developed 
throughout  the  state,  there  has  been  little  change  in 


204  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

St.  Louis.  The  affirmative  vote  was  but  slightly  in- 
creased. In  a  large  city  restrictive  measures  must 
be  consecutive  and  progressive.  Elimination  of  the 
liquor  traffic  is  not  an  immediate  probability,  but  more 
rigid  control  is.  Therefore,  measures  such  as  the 
following  should  certainly  receive  immediate  con- 
sideration : 

1.  Strict  enforcement  of  present  law. 

2.  Increase  of  the  annual  license  fee. 

3.  Limitation  of  number  of  saloons. 

4.  Reasonable  opening  and  closing  hours. 

5.  The  abolition  of  "  wine  rooms." 

6.  Prohibition  of  music  and  mechanical  players  in 

saloons. 

7.  Removal  of  screens  from  windows. 

8.  Separation  of  dance  halls  and  saloons. 

9.  Restrictions  against  saloons  near  parks,  schools, 

and  transfer  points. 

10.  Local  option  by  wards. 

So  long  as  the  enlightened  people  of  St.  Louis  do 
not  require  any  and  all  of  these  restrictions,  more 
radical  measures  are  merely  illusions.  Furthermore, 
local  public  sentiment  must  become  definite  and  earnest, 
otherwise  no  progressive  policy  can  be  carried  out. 
We  have  drifted  for  six  years  without  change  or 
improvement.  Surely,  a  problem  so  vital  to  the  church 
as  this  is  one  that  should  be  given  most  serious  con- 
sideration. 

IV.     Juvenile  Delinquency 

The  most  easily  curable  form  in  which  vice  and 
crime  are  discovered  is  juvenile  delinquency.  The  bad 


VICE  AND  CRIME  205 

boy  is  a  young  and  largely  unformed  creature  whose 
moral  status  can  be  improved,  and  whose  delinquency 
can  be  largely,  if  not  entirely,  remedied.  The  case  of 
the  girl  is  less  hopeful,  but  strenuous  efforts  can  do 
much  for  her. 

1.  Number  of  Delinquents 

That  we  have  a  serious  problem  is  indicated  by  the 
fact  that  in  six  years,  1909-15,  about  ten  thousand 
children,  of  which  nearly  3,500  were  repeaters,  were 
brought  into  the  Juvenile  Court  on  the  separate  charge 
of  delinquency.  This  means  that  one  out  of  approxi- 
mately every  fourteen  children  between  ten  and  sixteen 
years  of  age  was  brought  into  court.  This  computa- 
tion includes  girls,  of  whom  there  were  not  more  than 
a  thousand.  Considering  the  boys  separately,  it  ap- 
pears that  from  one  ninth  to  one  eighth  are  brought 
into  the  Juvenile  Court  some  time  or  other ;  but  certain 
sections  of  the  city  seldom  send  boys  to  the  court, 
while  the  great  majority  come  from  the  congested  dis- 
tricts, some  of  which  apparently  contribute  every  third 
or  fourth  boy.  Think  of  a  condition  in  which  one 
member  of  every  other  family  must  be  placed  in  charge 
of  the  Juvenile  Court  for  the  improvement  of  his 
morals,  and  training  by  father  and  mother  must  be 
superseded  or  publicly  supplemented.  That  is  the 
actual  situation  in  parts  of  the  city. 

2.  Causes 

If  asked,  Why  did  the  children  go  wrong?  we 
answer,  Because  of  lack  of  moral  stamina;  but  that 
gives  little  clew  to  the  actual  problem  involved.  Cer- 
tain fundamental  personal  and  social  conditions  destroy 


206  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

our  youths  and  must  be  removed  if  we  would  abolish 
delinquency. 

Among  the  important  demoralizing  conditions  is 
abnormal  family  life.  For  many  years  it  has  been 
observed  that  in  only  slightly  more  than  one  half  of 
the  cases  were  the  natural  parents  of  the  child  living 
together  at  the  time  of  the  child's  delinquency.  That 
is,  nearly  one  half  of  the  children  must  cope  with  such 
disadvantages  as  orphanage,  the  lack  of  a  father  or  a 
mother,  and  the  presence  of  a  stepfather  or  step- 
mother. These  broken  homes  may  be  due  to  death, 
divorce,  desertion,  or  separation  of  parents ;  but  what- 
ever the  cause,  the  child  soon  loses  the  good  effect 
of  proper  parental  discipline.  Furthermore,  the  in- 
fluence of  step-parent  is  frequently  unwholesome. 
Many  unbroken  homes,  however,  are  demoralizing 
because  of  the  low  ideals,  the  evil  habits,  and  vicious 
practises  of  father  or  mother.  Intemperance,  dis- 
honesty, shiftlessness,  immorality,  and  other  sins  infect 
the  entire  family,  and  soon  the  son  or  daughter  falls 
into  evil  ways.  If  the  family  is  a  sacred  institution, 
shall  not  every  influence  and  movement  that  protects 
and  preserves  the  family  be  considered  a  religious 
service  ? 

A  bad  physical  environment — overcrowding  in  the 
homes,  dirty  back  yards,  filthy  alleys,  dilapidated  dwell- 
ings, neglected  streets,  and  inadequate  opportunity  for 
play  and  recreation — is  a  second  serious  factor.  We 
are  part  of  the  environment  of  our  children;  and  so 
are  the  family  Bible,  the  church  and  school,  Shake- 
speare, Mother  Goose,  the  teacher,  the  cook  and  maid, 
the  flowers,  the  park,  the  pet  dog,  the  boys  and  girls 
on  the  street,  and  a  thousand  influences  from  the 


VICE  AND  CRIME  207 

physical,  mental,  moral,  and  spiritual  forces  that  sur- 
round us.  The  fact  that  delinquents  are  chiefly  from 
certain  sections  goes  far  to  prove  this  point.  Experi- 
ence has  shown  that  proper  facilities  for  the  use  of 
leisure  are  an  important  preventive  of  delinquency. 
Give  the  boy  an  opportunity  to  use  his  surplus  boyish 
energies  in  wholesome  ways  and  he  is  not  likely  to 
commit  crime;  otherwise,  street  associations  produce 
disorderly  conduct,  disturbance  of  the  peace,  or  wanton 
destruction  of  property,  and  "  gangs "  are  formed 
which  meet  in  forbidden  places  and  engage  in  mis- 
chievous or  demoralizing  conduct.  The  leader  of  a 
gang  often  is  the  key  to  the  morals  of  an  entire  group 
and  may  lead  them  up  or  down.  One  plotter  may  ruin 
a  score ;  one  honest  boy  may  save  a  gang.  The  young 
girl  suffers  principally  from  the  environment  within 
her  home.  If  she  has  no  privacy,  no  place  for  com- 
pany, and  is  brought  into  too  close  contact  with  the 
male  members  of  the  family,  her  demoralization  is 
easily  accomplished. 

Many  children  go  wrong  because  they  are  weak- 
minded.  They  lack  the  will-power  to  resist  tempta- 
tion, and  therefore  become  delinquent.  Many  of  them 
are  hardly  responsible  for  their  acts;  and  if  such  chil- 
dren come  from  unfavorable  homes,  their  downfall  is 
practically  inevitable.  Defectiveness  is  many  times 
as  frequent  among  delinquents  as  among  normal  chil- 
dren. 

Poverty  and  child  labor  are  contributory  causes  of 
delinquency.  There  is  a  direct  relation  between  de- 
linquency and  family  income,  especially  where  girls 
are  affected.  Although  poverty  leads  to  larceny,  which 
is  the  most  common  offense,  it  causes  delinquency 


208  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

chiefly  by  interfering  with  opportunities  for  play, 
recreation,  and  education,  and  by  forcing  children  into 
premature  employment.  Those  forms  of  child  labor 
which  involve  little  or  no  supervision  by  the  employer 
lead  distinctly  to  delinquency ;  investigations  in  various 
cities  have  brought  out  this  fact.  Accordingly  the 
street  trades,  messenger  service,  and  similar  occupa- 
tions are  particularly  hazardous.  A  study  made  in 
St.  Louis  in  1910  showed  that  sixty  per  cent,  of  507 
newsboys  whose  histories  were  secured  had  come  in 
touch  with  the  Juvenile  Court.  Irregular  employment 
also  has  a  demoralizing  tendency. 

Other  causes  play  an  important  part;  but  broken 
homes,  bad  homes,  lack  of  training,  unwholesome  asso- 
ciations, lack  of  recreational  facilities,  mental  defect, 
poverty,  and  child  labor  are  the  principal  evils  with 
which  we  must  contend. 

3.   Treatment 

The  Missouri  law  requires  delinquent  childien  under 
seventeen  to  be  sent  to  our  Juvenile  Court,  and  its  pro- 
bation force  makes  an  investigation  of  each  case  before 
judgment  is  passed.  Usually  from  one  fourth  to  one 
third  of  the  cases  are  dismissed.  This  fact  does  not 
imply  innocence  of  the  charge,  but  means  that  the  child 
is  given  another  chance  without  qualification,  although 
he  may  be  reprimanded  by  the  judge.  The  most 
popular  plan  is  to  place  the  child  on  probation.  Lesser 
and  first  offenders  are  favored  in  this  way,  but  hard- 
ened repeaters  are  generally  sent  either  to  the  Indus- 
trial School  or  to  one  of  the  three  state  training 
schools. 

At  present  there  are  fifteen  probation  officers,  two 


VICE  AND  CRIME  209 

of  whom  limit  their  work  to  investigation,  while  some 
are  required  to  supervise  neglected  children,  for  in  St. 
Louis  these  cases  are  also  handled  by  the  courts.  As  a 
consequence  the  officers  have  a  heavy  program  on  hand. 
On  August  i,  1916,  there  were  864  delinquent  and  674 
neglected  children  under  probation  or  supervision  by 
thirteen  officers — an  average  of  more  than  100  for 
each  official. 

Here  is  a  big  field  for  constructive  work,  since  prac- 
tically every  child  under  the  care  of  the  court  implies 
a  family  that  needs  attention.  Juvenile  delinquency 
is  partly  the  manifestation  of  defective  family  condi- 
tions, and  to  that  extent  becomes  a  family  problem. 
The  probation  officer  must  work  with  the  children,, 
but  especially  with  the  parents.  The  church,  the 
Sunday-school,  the  public  school,  the  playground,  set- 
tlement, and  other  agencies  must  all  cooperate  to  re- 
construct the  child,  his  home,  and  his  environment. 
What  a  wonderful  opportunity  for  good  this  becomes! 
Already  the  religious  denominations  have  begun  to 
recognize  the  need  of  their  services.  The  Roman 
Catholic  representative  at  the  court,  maintained  by  the 
St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society,  makes  plans  in  regard 
to  the  handling  of  certain  Catholic  cases;  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  Church  Federation  does  the  same  for 
Protestant  children ;  and  a  Jewish  representative  is 
also  occasionally  present.  Only  a  small  proportion  of 
cases  come  directly  within  the  province  of  these  agents; 
nevertheless,  the  use  of  religion  as  a  constructive  force 
should  be  made  universal,  but  the  churches  have  hardly 
begun  to  perform  the  services  of  which  they  are 
capable. 


210  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

4.    Big  Brother  Movement 

The  work  of  the  Protestant  Big  Brother  move- 
ment is  especially  noteworthy.  The  organization  was 
founded  in  1914  and  carried  along  on  a  volunteer  basis 
for  some  time,  but  in  March,  1916,  it  was  made  a  de- 
partment of  the  Church  Federation  and  assigned  a 
paid  secretary,  who  spends  part  of  his  time  at  the 
Juvenile  Court  counseling  and  directing  the  boys,  and 
correlating  the  work  of  the  men,  or  "  big  brothers," 
who  agree  to  befriend  a  boy.  These  men  are  recruited 
from  the  churches  or  church  organizations  and  agree 
to  help  in  providing  opportunities  and  moral  guidance 
for  the  "  little  brothers,"  who  may  be  boys  referred 
from  the  court  or  other  boys  in  need  of  some  good 
friend  outside  their  families.  The  service  for  such 
boys  frequently  results  in  bringing  entire  families  in 
touch  with  some  church  organization — a  result  well 
worth  the  effort.  The  number  of  big  brothers  is  ap- 
proximately 125,  but  with  the  continued  organization 
of  the  work  an  indefinite  expansion  is  possible.  The 
befriending  of  adult  offenders  is  also  a  very  necessary 
work. 

The  Catholic  and  Jewish  groups  each  have  a  Big 
Brother  organization,  but  on  a  volunteer  basis.  A  Big 
Sister  movement  has  sprung  into  existence,  but  it  is 
likewise  guided  by  volunteers.  This  aims  to  do  for 
girls  what  the  Big  Brother  movement  does  for  boys. 
At  present  there  are  forty  pledged  big  sisters,  some  of 
whom  have  been  called  to  service. 

Delinquent  boys  and  girls  need  not  only  public 
guardians;  they  need  the  help  and  good-will  of  the 
religious  forces  of  the  community,  and  we,  as  private 
individuals,  cannot  rest  until  they  have  it.  Nor  can 


VICE  AND  CRIME  211 

we  be  content  as  long  as  the  causes  of  delinquency 
remain. 

Much  immorality  among  boys  and  girls  is  never 
uncovered  by  the  courts.  Usually  the  public  does  not 
realize  the  situation,  although  occasionally  it  manifests 
itself  in  the  form  of  unlawful  parenthood.  Sex 
morality  among  adolescents,  as  well  as  among  adults, 
is  shamefully  low  and  higher  standards  must  be  at- 
tained. 


V.    The  Task  of  the  Church 

This  brief  account  of  crime  and  vice  in  St.  Louis 
merely  suggests  the  problem.  Here  we  have  the  most 
extensive  objective  expression  of  sin  and  wickedness. 
The  conflict  with  sin  has  always  been  the  peculiar 
function  of  the  church.  What  shall  we  say  when  we 
face  the  facts  as  they  exist? 

Again,  our  program  must  be  comprehensive.  The 
individual  appeal  is  primary,  but  the  contagious  in- 
fluence of  sinful  contacts  must  be  removed.  It  is  not 
enough  to  reform  our  courts,  improve  our  probation 
system,  construct  a  new  workhouse,  make  provision 
for  delinquent  women,  train  our  police,  and  appoint 
additional  policewomen.  Surround  people  with  in- 
fluences that  are  wholesome  and  inspiring;  otherwise, 
the  spiritual  life  that  has  been  implanted  will  not  grow 
or  bear  fruit.  Bring  home  to  every  man  his  short- 
comings so  he  may  be  convicted  of  sin,  and  offer  him 
the  gospel  of  Christ;  but  remember  that  part  of  this 
gospel  requires  that  every  man  be  granted  an  oppor- 
tunity to  be  good,  just  as  every  seed  has  a  right  to 
demand  fertile  soil  if  it  is  expected  to  bear  good  fruit. 


212  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST,  LOUIS 

The  prevention  of  crime  and  vice  through  an  appre- 
ciation of  their  causes,  social  and  individual,  and  their 
utter  removal — this  is  the  constructive  and  permanent 
program  which  humanity  demands  that  the  church 
contribute  to  the  world. 


VIII. 
LEISURE  AND  RECREATION 

The  enjoyment  of  regular  periods  of  time  for  rest 
and  recreation  is  a  custom  the  origin  of  which  is  lost 
in  the  unwritten  story  of  antiquity.  Moses  required 
the  Israelites  to  set  aside  every  seventh  day  for  rest 
and  worship,  but  long  before  the  Mosaic  code  many 
people  enjoyed  a  similar  holiday  or  Sabbath.  Jesus 
was  a  most  busy  man  who  found  it  wise  to  observe 
the  Sabbath,  but  who  also  insisted  that  the  Sabbath 
was  made  for  man,  not  man  for  the  Sabbath.  That 
is,  the  use  of  the  Sabbath  must  be  made  consistent 
with  the  rules  of  common  sense,  and  an  iron-clad 
routine  of  Sabbath  observance  cannot  be  followed. 
Jesus  rested  at  other  times  and  made  similar  require- 
ments of  his  disciples.  "  And  he  said  unto  them,  come 
ye  yourselves  apart  into  a  desert  place  and  rest  awhile ; 
for  there  were  many  coming  and  going  and  they  had 
no  leisure  so  much  as  to  eat." 

Rest  from  the  work  of  the  day  or  the  week  involves 
two  important  problems:  first,  the  setting  aside  of  a 
reasonable  amount  of  time  for  the  conscious  develop- 
ment of  the  moral  and  spiritual  qualities;  second,  the 
use  of  leisure  hours  for  recreational  purposes  in  such 
a  way  as  will  stimulate  the  body  to  speedy  recovery 
from  the  fatigue  produced  by  the  monotony  of 
work. 

213 


214  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

/.     Sunday  Observance 

The  first  of  these  problems  centers  about  the  ques- 
tion of  Sunday  observance.  The  use  of  our  Sundays 
in  unwholesome  and  desecrating  ways  necessarily 
lowers  the  spiritual  plane  of  the  people ;  but  it  is  use- 
less to  consider  a  return  to  the  so-called  Sunday  blue 
laws  with  their  trail  of  unhappiness  for  children  and 
young  people.  We  must  aim,  however,  to  preserve 
this  day  for  the  noble  purposes  to  which  it  is  dedi- 
cated. Sunday  observance  does  not  depend  on  frantic 
resolutions  passed  by  religious  bodies,  but  is  deeply 
affected  by  several  important  considerations,  chief 
among  which  are  the  following : 

1.  The  number  of  hours  of  work  and  the  intensity 

of  labor. 

2.  The  opportunity  during  week-days  of  sufficient 

wholesome   and   refreshing   amusement   and 
recreation. 

3.  Attractive  facilities  for  recreation  on  Sundays. 

4.  Churches  so  vitalized  that  people  feel  the  need 

of  their  help. 

5.  Indifference  to  the  use  and  fate  of  the  weekly 

rest  day. 

Here,  as  in  other  cases,  it  is  a  problem  of  personal 
inspiration  and  of  opportunity  to  gain  the  ideals. 
There  will  be  no  return  to  proper  Sunday  observance 
until  opportunities  for  needed  relief  from  the  physical 
and  mental  tension  of  the  work  of  the  week  are 
provided.  Again,  a  line  must  be  drawn  between  justi- 
fiable recreation  and  actual  desecration  of  the  Sunday. 
Finally,  the  churches  must  prove  their  value  and  make 
themselves  indispensable. 


LEISURE  AND  RECREATION  215 

We  have  gone  too  far  in  surrendering  Sunday  to 
commercial  recreations  of  various  kinds. 

We  are  too  willing  to  allow  thousands  to  toil  for 
our  advantage  on  Sundays. 

We  have  not  given  due  credit  to  recreation  for  its 
virtue  in  supplying  that  indispensable  exhilaration  to 
life,  obtained  in  no  other  way. 

This  problem  needs  most  serious  consideration,  and 
the  energy  of  the  churches  should  be  employed  to 
work  out  a  solution.  The  factors  involved  are  in- 
dustrial, social,  recreational,  mental,  and  spiritual,  and 
there  is  no  short  cut  to  the  goal. 

//.    The  Value  of  Recreation 

Modern  industrial  life  is  entirely  too  monotonous 
for  the  comfort  of  the  individual.  There  are  also  the 
hurry  and  bustle  and  the  nerve-racking  noises  of 
wheels,  machines,  whistles,  typewriters,  and  other 
mechanical  appliances.  Added  to  this  are  long  hours 
of  work  coupled  with  the  demand  for  such  speed  of 
hand  or  foot  that  the  toiler  becomes  almost  machine- 
like  in  the  regularity  and  automatism  of  his  move- 
ments. Such  an  individual  needs  relaxation  from  this 
strenuous  routine.  He  needs  something  to  relieve  the 
physical  and  mental  tension  that  has  been  developed, 
and  his  mind  must  be  brought  to  bear  on  other  things. 
He  may  not  require  a  cessation  of  physical  or  mental 
activities;  but  he  should  have  exercise  and  thought  in 
different  forms  and  for  different  purposes.  Beyond 
a  limited  amount  of  physical  rest,  the  remedy  for  a 
tired  body  is  not  total  inactivity,  but  enjoyable  and 
refreshing  leisure  or  recreation.  A  working  girl  may 
use  her  leisure  in  skating  or  in  basket-ball  and  serve 


216  THE  CHALLENGE  Ot  ST.  LOUIS 

her  purpose  well.  A  hard-working  man  may  find  that 
the  moving  picture  relieves  the  tension  and  gives  him 
zest  and  spirit.  Recreation  may  be  active  or  passive 
in  form,  but  either  will  partially  serve  the  needs  of  the 
man  and  woman  of  to-day. 

The  general  principle  that  hours  of  work  should  be 
limited  and  leisure  time  allowed  is  so  well  established 
that  vacations  are  regularly  granted  to  a  large  propor- 
tion of  the  working  population,  and  various  forms  of 
recreation  have  been  introduced  into  factories,  stores, 
and  workshops.  Furthermore,  provision  is  made  for 
the  recreation  of  the  community  by  three  types  of 
agencies ;  the  public,  through  the  municipality ;  philan- 
thropic organizations,  through  settlements,  social  cen- 
ters, churches,  and  other  institutions ;  and  the  com- 
mercial agencies,  which  sell  recreation  to  the  public. 
At  the  outset  several  important  principles  must  be 
laid  down  to  guide  us  in  our  discussion.  Recreation 
produces  important  moral  results.  The  reduction  of 
juvenile  delinquency  by  the  establishment  of  play- 
grounds serves  as  an  illustration.  The  social  effects 
of  wisely  used  recreation  are  good.  Recreation  is  a 
human  necessity  and  is  a  developmental  influence  or 
factor  just  as  is  education;  therefore  it  must  be  so- 
cialized, that  is,  provided  from  public  or  philanthropic 
sources  and  not  be  made  dependent  on  commercial 
agencies. 

///.    Public  Recreation 

i.    Parks  and  Playgrounds 

The  Christian  can  well  afford  to  inquire  into  the 
public  provision  for  recreation,  since  it  affects  so 


LEISURE  AND  RECREATION  217 

vitally  the  character  level  of  our  population.  St.  Louis 
has  a  variety  of  splendid  parks  with  a  total  area  of 
2,766  acres.  A  number,  including  Forest  and  O'Fallon 
Parks,  are  not  convenient  to  the  mass  of  citizens,  but 
nevertheless  serve  an  important  function.  In  the 
larger  parks  are  numerous  picnic  grounds  and  pro- 
vision for  boating,  skating,  tennis,  golf,  baseball,  and 
other  games ;  while  the  smaller  ones  afford  opportunity 
for  rest  and  lounging.  The  congested  parts  of  the  city 
have  few  parks  and  these  are  small  and  afford  no 
definite  forms  of  recreation.  Accordingly,  the  work- 
ing men  and  women,  especially  the  immigrants,  have 
few  opportunities  to  enjoy  the  fine  parks  of  the  city 
and  particularly  to  engage  in  the  games.  To  them  a 
visit  to  our  large  parks  is  an  exceptional  occasion  to 
be  enjoyed  in  common  by  the  entire  family,  parents 
and  children;  and  as  car- fare  is  a  consideration,  the 
excursion  will  not  be  repeated  except  at  infrequent 
intervals. 

Two  large  outdoor  swimming  pools  have  been  estab- 
lished, one  operating  in  1916  for  the  third  year,  the 
second  just  established.  The  pool  in  Fairgrounds 
Park  is  the  largest  artificial  public  pool  in  America, 
having  a  diameter  of  440  feet  and  being  capable  of 
serving  thousands  of  persons  during  the  day.  Swim- 
ming and  bathing  has  proved  a  pleasant  and  useful 
diversion  for  individuals  of  all  ages,  both  men  and 
women,  and  has  diverted  many  from  amusements  of 
doubtful  character.  The  city  also  maintains  three 
public  baths,  all  in  the  congested  districts.  The  pur- 
pose of  these,  however,  is  utilitarian  rather  than  recre- 
ative. Few  of  their  patrons  find  such  facilities  in  the 
antiquated  equipment  of  the  houses  in  which  they  live, 


2i8  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

and  therefore  they  must  turn  to  these  public  agencies 
for  relief. 

For  the  boys  and  girls  and  small  children,  a  chain  of 
public  playgrounds  has  been  provided.  These  grounds 
are  located  principally  in  the  congested  districts  and 
are  intended  to  serve  those  who  cannot  readily  take 
advantage  of  the  larger  parks.  In  1916  there  were 
eighteen  playgrounds  in  operation.  They  are  nearly 
uniform  in  size  and  their  total  area  is  twenty-three 
acres,  or  1.2  acres  per  playground.  They  are  under  the 
control  of  the  Division  of  Parks  and  Recreation, 
which,  as  soon  as  the  public  schools  close,  begins  its 
season  of  directed  and  supervised  recreation.  Each 
playground  is  equipped  with  apparatus,  the  principal 
forms  being  see-saws,  swings,  horizontal  and  vertical 
bars,  and  slides.  The  grounds  are  regularly  open  from 
9  A.M.  until  5  P.M.,  during  which  time  a  play  director 
is  constantly  present.  Night  work  has,  however,  been 
introduced  on  some  of  the  playgrounds  for  the  benefit 
of  older  children.  In  addition  to  the  active  physical 
forms  of  recreation,  raffia,  basket-making,  and  similar 
work  are  enjoyed  by  many  of  the  children.  In  fact, 
it  becomes  restful  to  alternate  activities  and  this  plan 
likewise  tends  to  keep  children  from  drifting  back  into 
the  streets.  On  many  of  the  playgrounds  some  of 
the  simpler  apparatus  is  allowed  to  remain  throughout 
the  year.  Accordingly,  on  Saturdays,  Sundays,  and 
outside  of  school  hours  children  may  be  seen  enjoying 
themselves  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  except  in  time 
of  inclement  weather.  Furthermore,  during  the  win- 
ter of  1915-16  a  number  of  playgrounds  were  fitted 
out  for  winter  sports,  and  arrangements  were  made 
for  a  director  to  be  stationed  at  each  of  these  grounds 


FIND  THE  LEADER  OF  THE  GANG 

AND  THE  LIBRARY  CHAMPION 

(PAGE  223) 


LEISURE  AND  RECREATION  219 

during  certain  hours  of  the  day  when  the  schools  were 
not  in  session. 

For  two  consecutive  seasons  moving  pictures  were 
exhibited  at  several  of  the  playgrounds.  The  shows 
lasted  until  about  9 130  o'clock,  after  which  the  crowd 
rapidly  dispersed.  The  films  were  carefully  selected  so 
as  to  include  both  educational  and  humorous  subjects, 
and  have  proved  a  great  delight  to  the  thousands  who 
have  seen  them.  Vigorous  opposition  by  the  com- 
mercial moving  picture  shows  to  the  splendid  service 
rendered  by  the  city  to  the  various  communities  that 
were  thus  benefited  forced  the  park  department  to 
discontinue  this  form  of  recreation. 

The  St.  Louis  playgrounds  make  little  special  pro- 
vision for  small  children,  who  must  be  accompanied 
by  some  caretaker  such  as  mother  or  sister;  nor  do 
they  meet  the  needs  of  the  boys  who  prowl  about  the 
streets  after  dark  in  search  of  some  method  of  interest- 
ing themselves. 

Special  Need  During  the  Winter.  Again,  but  lit- 
tle is  done  to  lighten  the  long  tedious  hours  of  the 
winter  months  when  mischief  claims  so  many  victims. 
Furthermore,  the  playground  facilities  are  far  from 
adequate.  More  play  spaces  are  needed  and  those 
already  in  use  should  be  operated  more  hours  and 
days  throughout  the  year.  The  colored  children  have 
but  two  playgrounds — two  definitely  set  aside  for 
them  and  several  others  on  which  they  may  play  but 
not  interfere  with  the  white  children.  When  we  recog- 
nize how  widely  scattered  is  the  colored  population 
we  readily  understand  why  the  majority  of  colored 
children  are  condemned  to  the  streets,  yards,  and 
alleys.  We  have  no  civic  centers  or  field  houses  simi- 


220  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

lar  to  the  fine  institutions  in  Chicago  and  several  other 
cities,  where,  besides  the  children,  young  men  and 
women  may  come  to  participate  in  the  recreational 
activities  afforded;  where  books,  gymnasium,  swim- 
ming pool,  club  rooms,  and  even  parties  may  be  en- 
joyed. The  city  provides  but  little  for  that  large  group 
who  are  breaking  from  youth  into  manhood  and 
womanhood  and  who  should  be  kept  from  patronizing 
amusements  that  particularly  promise  to  effect  their 
downfall. 

In  two  summer  seasons  a  number  of  the  streets  in 
the  congested  districts  were  set  aside  for  a  very  short 
time  to  be  used  within  certain  hours  as  temporary 
playgrounds.  One  only  needs  to  see  some  of  the 
streets  in  New  York  to  realize  how  thoroughly  they 
have  become  homes  of  the  people.  So  here  an  at- 
tempt was  made  to  give  municipal  sanction  to  the 
use  of  the  street  for  recreational  purposes.  The  ob- 
jections of  unsocial  residents  and  property  owners 
have  prevented  this  plan  from  giving  the  much-needed 
relief  from  the  over-congestion  of  our  play  spaces. 

2.  Social  Centers 

Experiment  has  also  been  made  with  several  public 
school  playgrounds  which  were  temporarily  set  aside 
for  play  activities  during  the  summer.  The  Park 
Department  provided  the  grounds  with  some  equip- 
ment and  carried  on  the  same  routine  as  on  the  other 
playgrounds.  This  plan  of  cooperation  between  the 
School  Board  and  the  Park  Department  should  make 
more  rapid  headway.  It  is  most  unfortunate  that  the 
splendid  play  spaces  connected  with  so  many  of  our 
public  school  buildings  are  not  utilized  to  greater 


LEISURE  AND  RECREATION  221 

advantage  during  the  summer  months.  Here  is  a 
valuable  moral  asset  functioning  at  only  a  small  pro- 
portion of  its  possible  service  to  the  community.  The 
obstacles  to  the  efficient  use  of  this  property  should 
be  overcome. 

The  public  school  buildings  would  make  admirable 
social  centers  for  our  people.  There  are  more  than 
one  hundred  of  these  buildings  each  located  in  a  place 
selected  because  of  the  proximity  of  numerous  school 
children.  Opportunities  for  recreation,  for  cultural 
improvement,  and  for  social  life  are  not  sufficiently 
numerous  in  a  large  city  unless  extensive  provision  is 
made  by  the  public.  Many  of  our  school  buildings 
should  be  used  in  a  limited  way  for  such  purposes. 
The  use  of  Franklin  School  by  a  neighborhood  associa- 
tion affords  an  illustration  of  the  service  which  can  be 
rendered.  Among  the  activities  carried  on  are  the 
following:  in  the  afternoon  basket-ball  for  boys  and 
for  girls ;  folk  dancing  for  girls ;  mixed  dancing  club 
for  children  from  fourteen  to  sixteen ;  sewing,  crochet- 
ing, embroidery,  choral  clubs  and  orchestra ;  and  in 
addition  the  teachers  directly  supervise  such  games  as 
captain-ball  and  volley-ball.  In  the  evening  there  are 
basket-ball,  gymnasium  activities,  dancing,  concerts, 
and  a  woman's  club  program. 

Five  other  schools  were  used  as  social  centers  during 
the  winter  of  1915-16.  Gradually,  meetings  of  vari- 
ous kinds  are  also  being  held  in  many  school  buildings. 
Emphasis  must  be  placed  on  the  fact  that  the  majority 
of  young  people  in  our  cities  do  not  live  in  such 
spacious  houses  that  they  can  enjoy  social  gatherings 
in  their  homes.  Clubs,  classes,  musicales,  debating 
societies,  and  even  parties  are  hardly  possible  in  the 


222  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

compressed  parlors  and  sitting-rooms  of  the  city 
homes.  It  is  necessary  for  young  people  to  find  oppor- 
tunity for  occasional  gatherings  under  good  physical 
conditions.  Therefore,  social  centers  must  be  de- 
veloped or  boys  and  girls  will  drift  into  the  habit  of 
patronizing  commercial  amusements.  In  whatever 
locality  the  need  exists,  the  schools  should  be  open 
to  the  public  for  use  as  recreational,  social,  and  civic 
centers.  They  are  the  property  of  the  public  and 
should  serve  the  public.  Allowance  must  be  made  for 
apparent  indifference  to  the  value  of  such  a  center. 
Individuals  will  not  at  once  take  advantage  of  the 
opportunity  when  a  school  is  made  a  social  center. 
It  requires  time  to  teach  people  that  these  institutions 
are  for  wholesome  service.  Patience  must  triumph,  and 
then  morality  will  also.  After  several  years  men  will 
find  the  social  center  indispensable  and  it  will  justify 
the  faith  in  its  possibilities.  New  York  has  hundreds 
of  groups  of  young  people  meeting  regularly  in  its 
school  buildings  and  even  allows  clubs  or  groups  to 
enjoy  occasional  parties  and  social  evenings.  Here  an 
extension  of  this  service  would  greatly  increase  the 
opportunities  for  wholesome  leisure  and  recreation. 
Heretofore  in  St.  Louis  the  schools  used  as  social 
centers  have  enjoyed  only  a  limited  amount  of  super- 
vision. It  must  be  understood  that  successful  work 
requires  the  guidance  of  a  director,  anxious  to  promote 
the  physical,  moral,  and  social  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity. The  limitations  imposed  on  the  use  of  the 
civic  centers  in  Chicago  serve  to  illustrate  the  method 
necessary  to  gain  successful  results.  Social  gatherings 
are  not  open  to  everybody,  but  various  groups  each 
enjoy  their  turn.  The  promiscuous  intermixture  of 


LEISURE  AND  RECREATION  223 

all  classes,  the  chief  charge  made  against  public  insti- 
tutions, is  thereby  avoided  and  the  social  function  has 
the  same  standing  and  character  as  though  occurring  in 
a  private  hall  or  room.  Opportunities  for  boys  four- 
teen years  old  and  upward  are  seriously  needed. 

3.    The  St.  Louis  Public  Library 

The  Public  Library  serves  as  an  important  recrea- 
tional agency.  To  begin  with,  the  reading  of  fiction 
represents  one  form  of  recreation,  and  this  class  of 
literature  constitutes  more  than  one  half  of  the  total 
number  of  books  issued  for  home  reading.  Again,  the 
service  of  the  children's  department  is  noteworthy. 
Ten  per  cent,  of  the  books  taken  home  are  children's 
books.  The  interest  in  such  books  is  stimulated  by 
the  story  hours  conducted  in  the  various  libraries 
which  familiarize  the  children  with  stories,  characters, 
legends,  and  authors,  and  are  a  source  of  enjoyment 
directly,  besides  serving  to  stimulate  interest  in  the 
books.  The  extension  work  of  this  department  has 
carried  the  story  hour  to  seventeen  parks  and  play- 
grounds where  in  the  summer  months  the  children 
have  been  delighted  with  the  stories  told.  The  story 
hour  tends  to  drive  out  the  dime  novel;  it  probably 
triples  the  number  of  books  read  by  the  children,  and 
it  popularizes  good  literature — a  condition  not  only 
directly  helpful  to  the  children,  but  one  that  raises 
standards  in  the  theater,  picture  show,  and  elsewhere. 

The  use  of  the  library  buildings  for  social  center 
purposes  is  an  additional  part  of  the  recreational  pro- 
gram. In  the  fifteen  rooms  available  for  club  meet- 
ings, there  were  3,817  gatherings  during  the  year  1914- 
15;  some  of  these  were  for  educational,  others  for 


224  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

social  purposes.  Dancing  clubs,  boy  scouts,  reading 
circles,  and  other  groups  regularly  gathered  to  carry 
out  their  programs. 

IV.    Recreation  Furnished  by  Philanthropic 
Organisations 

A  considerable  amount  of  recreation  is  already 
directly  afforded  through  church  organizations.  The 
institutional  churches  and  missions  all  have  clubs, 
classes,  and  groups  which  provide  recreation  or  com- 
bine it  with  forms  of  self-improvement.  The  extent 
of  this  service  may  be  indicated  by  the  activities  of  one 
church  which  has  boys'  clubs,  gymnasium  activities 
for  boys  and  men,  game  rooms,  circulating  library, 
reading  rooms,  baths,  girls'  lunch  club,  crocheting  and 
cooking  classes  for  girls,  social  and  literary  clubs  for 
boys  and  girls,  moving  pictures,  girls'  gymnasium 
classes,  etc.  Practically  all  churches  offer  a  certain 
amount  of  recreation.  A  goodly  number  of  Sunday- 
schools  have  an  annual  picnic  and  occasional  evenings 
for  pleasure,  usually  coupled  with  a  formal  program 
of  a  literary  character.  Furthermore,  the  young 
people's  societies  have  their  social  gatherings  and  "  get 
together  "  meetings,  while  men's  and  women's  organi- 
zations sometimes  depart  sufficiently  from  their  fixed 
plan  or  program  to  indulge  in  harmless  and  helpful 
social  amenities.  Again,  out  of  some  one  of  these 
organizations,  or  independently  among  the  younger 
people,  arise  the  basket-ball  and  baseball  teams  and 
other  athletic  groups. 

The  Sunday  School  Athletic  Association  is  an 
organization  the  object  of  which  is  to  provide  properly 
supervised  athletics  for  boys  who  are  members  of 


LEISURE  AND  RECREATION  225 

Sunday-schools,  with  the  double  purpose  of  improving 
the  conditions  under  which  they  carry  on  their  recrea- 
tion and  to  use  these  physical  activities  as  a  means  of 
bringing  into  the  Sunday-school,  and  retaining  under 
its  character-forming  influence,  boys  who  would  other- 
wise remain  outside.  The  organization  is  now  in  its 
fifth  year.  About  sixty  Sunday-schools  of  various 
denominations  have  cooperated  with  it,  some  continu- 
ously and  others  intermittently,  some  officially  and 
others  quite  informally  through  groups  of  boys. 
About  i, 600  different  boys  have  been  registered  during 
that  period,  as  many  as  six  hundred  in  a  single  year. 
The  work  of  the  Association  is  becoming  better  under- 
stood and  a  larger  number  of  men  from  a  greater 
number  of  Sunday-schools  each  year  enter  into  its 
active  management.  The  Association  aims  to  have 
every  Sunday-school  in  the  city  recognize  the  im- 
portance of  supervising  the  physical  activities  of  the 
boys  as  a  means  of  character  development  and  char- 
acter preservation,  and  to  appoint  some  responsible 
adult  as  head  to  such  boys'  work  in  that  school.  By 
following  this  line  of  development  the  Association  has 
made  substantial  progress  in  educating  Sunday-school 
officials  to  a  realization  of  the  importance  of  the  work. 
Private  philanthropic  and  religious  agencies  are 
filling  an  important  recreational  need.  The  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  through  it  various 
branches,  is  giving  wholesome  leisure  to  a  large 
number  of  young  men.  Among  its  activities  are 
the  following:  gymnasium  work,  basket-ball,  in- 
door baseball,  swimming,  boxing,  fencing,  wrestling, 
and  games  of  various  kinds.  Club  rooms  have 
been  established  in  the  Central  Branch  and  a 


226  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

good  equipment  has  also  been  provided  in  the  Rail- 
road and  North  Side  Branches.  The  recreational 
activities  of  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association 
reach  all  classes,  and  thousands  of  girls  receive  benefits 
of  untold  value.  A  well-developed  department  of 
physical  education  has  provided  gymnastics,  physical 
training,  and  recreation  for  girls,  and  came  in  touch 
with  4,247  girls  during  the  year  1914-15.  The  swim- 
ming pool  is  a  well-patronized  institution  and  frequent 
parties  form  a  pleasant  diversion. 

These  two  interdenominational  movements  have 
long  since  grasped  the  significance  of  recreation  as  a 
moral  and  religious  factor  and  have  made  a  special 
appeal  to  this  side  of  life  and,  of  course,  with  excellent 
results. 

The  Boy  Scout  movement  has  a  most  wholesome 
moral  purpose  and  effect.  Practically  divested  of  its 
military  aspects,  it  now  develops  body  and  mind  in 
most  creditable  manner.  Scouts  must  be  twelve  years 
old,  and  on  joining  agree  to  accept  the  twelve  Boy 
Scout  laws,  which  require  them  to  be  trustworthy, 
loyal,  helpful,  friendly,  courteous,  kind,  obedient, 
cheerful,  thrifty,  brave,  clean,  and  reverent.  The 
boys  organize  and  gain  the  discipline  that  organization 
effects.  They  make  frequent  trips  to  the  country  and 
come  in  touch  with  nature,  at  the  same  time  improving 
their  general  health  and  physique.  They  learn  to  swim 
and  to  do  many  practical  things  in  the  field  of  wood- 
craft; also  to  become  kind  and  humane,  to  be  polite, 
and  to  do  good  deeds  from  day  to  day. 

It  is  not  to  be  inferred  that  becoming  a  boy  scout 
at  once  transforms  a  ruffian  into  an  exemplary  youth, 
but  it  does  at  once  set  good  influences  at  work  upon 


LEISURE  AND  RECREATION  227 

the  boy.  In  St.  Louis  the  troops  are  largely  conducted 
in  connection  with  church  organizations,  but  not  under 
church  control,  although  there  is  some  responsible, 
older  member  of  the  church  usually  as  master  of  the 
local  troop.  These  elementary  groups  are  federated 
into  a  larger  council,  covering  the  city,  and  a  scout 
commissioner  stands  at  the  head.  There  are  about 
3,000  scouts  in  St.  Louis,  and  many  more  boys  should 
join  the  troops. 

There  are  two  corresponding  organizations  for  the 
girls,  the  Camp  Fire  Girls  and  the  Hearth  Fire  Girls. 
The  former  has  about  330  and  the  latter  about  500 
members.  Their  purposes  are  similar,  but  differences 
exist  in  the  detail  of  management  and  of  methods. 
The  Hearth  Fire  Girls,  for  example,  promise  to  live 
uprightly,  laugh  heartily,  labor  cheerfully,  and  love 
sincerely.  They  are  organized  into  groups  averaging 
about  fifteen  each  and  are  officered  in  a  manner  similar 
to  the  Boy  Scout  organization.  The  activities  are 
classified  under  the  following  heads :  home  craft,  health 
craft,  camp  craft,  business  craft,  and  miscellaneous. 
The  girls  come  in  touch  with  the  great  out-of-doors, 
develop  physically  and  industrially,  increase  their  ap- 
preciation of  domestic  life,  develop  the  inevitable 
social-mindedness  that  results  from  democratic  con- 
tacts, and  are  led  to  attend  churches,  Sunday-schools, 
and  other  institutions  that  insure  moral  and  spiritual 
growth.  The  enlargement  of  this  work  is  also  greatly 
to  be  desired. 

V .    Commercial  Recreations 

The  commercial  recreations  of  this  and  every  other 
city  present  a  serious  social  problem.  We  cannot  pre- 


228  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

vent  recreation.  We  would  not  if  we  could,  for  we 
are  well  aware  of  its  importance  to  our  physical  and 
moral  life.  But  we  permit  recreation  to  be  bought 
and  sold,  and  pay  scant  attention  to  the  quality  of  the 
article. 

i.    Dance  Halls 

One  of  these  forms  of  recreation  is  dancing.  Ac- 
cording to  unofficial  reports  there  are  about  150  public 
dance  halls  in  St.  Louis.  In  addition  there  are  a  con- 
siderable number  just  outside  the  city  limits.  These 
halls  are  open  usually  three  or  four  nights  per  week 
during  the  major  portion  of  the  year,  but  some  operate 
practically  every  evening,  including  Sunday.  They 
are  scattered  about  the  city  where  they  can  easily  be 
reached  by  persons  in  quest  of  recreation.  Charges  are 
as  low  as  ten  cents  for  men,  with  admission  free  for 
women.  Furthermore,  in  cases  where  charges  are 
made  for  women,  it  frequently  happens  that  clubs  or 
special  groups  using  the  hall  for  an  evening  distribute 
tickets  of  admission  rather  generously  among  the  fair 
sex  in  order  to  secure  a  satisfactory  attendance.  Some 
of  the  halls  are  connected  with  saloons,  so  that  intoxi- 
cating liquors  may  be  secured  without  leaving  the 
building.  Usually,  however,  in  such  cases  the  dance 
hall  is  on  the  second  floor  and  the  saloon  is  on  the 
floor  beneath.  The  public  dance  halls  receive  a  non- 
descript patronage.  Many  shop  and  department  store 
girls  are  regular  attendants,  and  women  from  the 
streets  also  appear  quite  frequently.  The  men  like- 
wise are  a  heterogeneous  group,  some  coming  by  auto- 
mobile, others  by  street-car.  On  the  whole,  lack  of 
acquaintanceship  does  not  seriously  interfere  with  the 


LEISURE  AND  RECREATION  229 

pleasure  of  an  evening.  Many  visitors,  it  is  true,  come 
in  groups  and  dance  only  with  members  of  their  group, 
but  official  introducers  and  self-appointed  men  act  as 
"  go-betweens "  and  soon  bring  strangers  together. 
Dancing  partners  are,  in  many  cases,  entirely  unknown 
to  each  other,  the  names  actually  given  being  false. 
It  therefore  becomes  easily  possible  for  misguided, 
pleasure-loving  girls  to  come  in  contact  with  vicious, 
low-minded  men,  and  there  is  also  no  doubt  that 
immoral  women  use  the  dance  as  a  means  of  cultivat- 
ing "  friends  "  and  of  increasing  their  earnings.  In 
some  dance  halls  attention  is  given  to  the  manner  of 
dancing  and  improper  positions  are  prohibited.  One 
hall  has,  during  the  recent  winter,  maintained  an  in- 
spector, a  young  woman  who  has  greatly  improved  the 
conduct  of  the  women  and  shielded  them  from  the 
more  obvious  temptations.  While  the  prevailing  dance 
positions  are  demoralizing,  there  is  little  evidence  that 
they  are  practised  to  a  greater  extreme  in  public  dance 
halls  than  elsewhere.  The  one-step  and  its  variations 
have  driven  out  the  more  venerable  waltz  and  two-step, 
and  the  results  of  the  bodily  contact  of  the  dancers 
cannot  be  other  than  demoralizing.  Again,  the  vile 
and  indecent  language  that  frequently  falls  upon  inno- 
cent ears  must  bear  shocking  results,  especially  in  the 
case  of  the  younger  girls. 

The  chief  evils  of  the  St.  Louis  dance  halls  may  be 
briefly  stated  as  follows: 

Intoxicating  liquors  can  be  obtained  in  connection 
with  some. 

Young  girls  who  ought  not  to  attend  dances  patron- 
ize these  places. 

The  indiscriminate  associations  are  demoralizing. 


230  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

Vile  language  is  common. 

They  are  in  some  cases  recruiting  stations  of  vice. 

They  develop  a  craze  for  dancing. 

Dancing  frequently  continues  until  early  morning 
hours. 

Girls  are  seldom  chaperoned. 

Regulation  of  Dance  Halls.  Opinions  differ  as 
to  the  propriety  of  dancing.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
dancing  as  a  recreation  will  be  carried  on  for  years 
to  come.  Accordingly,  the  first  task  of  the  man  who 
really  wishes  to  uplift  his  fellow-men  is  to  improve  the 
conditions  under  which  young  people  enjoy  their 
recreation.  We  must  regulate  all  commercial  dance 
halls  and  compel  them  to  subscribe  to  a  regime  which 
will  reduce  to  a  minimum  the  evils  that  are  present. 
Such  control  should  include  the  following  points: 

All  dance  halls  should  be  licensed. 

Girls  under  eighteen  should  not  be  allowed  unless 
chaperoned  by  parent  or  relative. 

Girls  and  boys  under  sixteen  should  not  be  allowed. 

Unattended  women  should  not  be  allowed  to  enter 
after  certain  hours. 

The  hall  should  be  closed  at  twelve  o'clock,  unless 
special  permission  has  been  obtained  to  continue 
longer. 

No  liquor  should  be  sold  in  the  same  building  (or 
an  adjacent  one,  if  closely  connected  with  the  dance 
hall). 

Disorderly  conduct  must  be  prevented. 

Moonlight  dances  must  be  prohibited,  and  an  ade- 
quate corps  of  supervisors  should  be  appointed  to  en- 
force these  regulations.  The  manifest  evils  incident  to 
public  dance  halls  would  thereby  be  largely  eliminated. 


LEISURE  AND  RECREATION  231 

2.    Motion  Pictures 

The  next  problem  is  that  of  the  moving  picture 
show,  which  has  in  recent  years  become  most  popular. 
In  St.  Louis  the  number  has  varied  from  140  to  225; 
some  of  these  operate  throughout  the  year  in  well- 
constructed  buildings,  while  the  so-called  "  air-domes," 
which  are  out  in  the  open,  can  only  be  conducted  dur- 
ing the  summer  and  in  fair  weather.  The  actual  num- 
ber of  shows  operating  at  one  time,  therefore,  differs 
much  from  season  to  season.  The  best  estimates  indi- 
cate that  about  40,000  persons  visit  our  picture  shows 
daily,  and  that  of  this  number  about  one  fifth  are 
children.  The  shows  located  in  the  residence  sections 
tend  to  become  family  theaters,  that  is,  places  to  which 
come  entire  families,  or  at  least  several  representatives, 
while  those  located  in  business  sections  are  naturally 
patronized  more  largely  by  men  and  women  coming 
singly. 

Moving  picture  shows  have  splendid  educational 
and  recreational  possibilities.  In  actual  practise  a 
show  usually  consists  of  from  three  to  five  films  repre- 
senting several  varieties  of  subjects — educational, 
travel,  comic,  farcical,  melodramatic,  historical.  In 
many  cases  a  very  clever  combination  of  film  subjects 
is  presented.  Mixed  with  the  desirable  films  are  one 
or  perhaps  two  which  either  suggest  immorality  or  low 
ideals,  or  deal  in  a  flippant  or  demoralizing  manner 
with  such  questions  as  love,  marriage,  police,  law,  and 
crime.  No  chain  is  stronger  than  its  weakest  link  and 
no  picture  show  is  better  than  its  most  demoralizing 
film.  It  is  that — the  presence  of  one  improper  film 
among  the  three  or  five — that  threatens  to  corrupt  the 
spectator.  Perhaps  the  following  characterization  of 


232  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

the  films  formerly  presented  in  a  local  show  illustrates 
this  problem.1 

Film  No.   i.     "  Taming  a  Husband."     Harmless. 

Film  No.  2.     "  Back  Among  the  Old  Folks."  Good. 

Film  No.  3.     "  The  Masterpiece."    Beautiful. 

Film  No.  4.  "  The  Incorrigible  Umbrella."  Non- 
sense mixed  with  coarseness. 

Film  No.  5.  "  The  Drunkard's  Dream."  Impious 
and  vulgar. 

An  additional  feature  introduced  in  certain  shows 
is  the  vaudeville  performance  that  either  alternates 
with  the  films  or  is  given  one  or  two  times.  This  is 
frequently  of  a  debasing  character;  the  language  is 
vulgar,  the  allusions  are  insinuating,  while  the  postures 
and  motions  of  the  actors  are  anything  but  elevating. 
On  the  other  hand,  vocal  solos  of  good  character  and 
instrumental  music  that  is  measurably  enjoyable  often 
fill  the  time  between  the  presentation  of  the  film  sub- 
jects. 

One  of  the  distasteful  features  of  the  darkness  com- 
mon to  all  picture  shows  is  the  annoyance  from  which 
young  girls  and  women  frequently  suffer. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  films  shown  in  St.  Louis 
have  been  passed  by  the  National  Board  of  Censorship, 
which  is  a  voluntary  body  without  legal  authority  and 
which  has  secured  the  cooperation  of  the  bulk  of  the 
film  manufacturers.  The  work  of  this  board,  how- 
ever, is  not  final,  nor  can  parents  allow  their  children 
to  see  all  the  films  that  it  has  passed.  For  example,  out 
of  ten  films  passed  by  the  board  and  examined  by  a 
representative  of  the  Hearth  Fire  Girls  for  display 
before  this  group,  nine  were  rejected  because  they  were 
1  Information  supplied  by  Miss  Helen  Bowyer. 


LEISURE  AND  RECREATION  233 

considered  undesirable.  In  St.  Louis  many  of  the 
films  presented  have  not  passed  the  National  Board. 
Furthermore,  we  have  no  assurance  that  the  parts  cut 
out  are  not  reintroduced.  In  Kansas  City  it  was  dis- 
covered that  this  was  being  done,  but  a  system  of 
local  censorship  finally  stopped  this  imposition.  St. 
Louis  has  neither  a  public  nor  a  voluntary  system  of 
censorship,  and  the  habitues  of  the  moving  picture 
shows,  therefore,  become  the  victims  of  anything  that 
operators  may  present,  and  it  must  not  be  forgotten 
that  most  managers  are  compelled  to  accept  for  display 
the  pictures  which  the  companies  furnish  them. 

The  moving  picture  has  come  to  stay.  Its  elimina- 
tion is  impossible.  Furthermore,  it  can  and  should  be 
used  in  schools  and  churches  for  educative  and  uplift- 
ing purposes.  It  also  has  its  purely  recreational 
aspects.  It  fills  an  important  need;  one  that  must  be 
recognized,  even  though  its  dangers  are  many  and 
serious.  If  we  would  conserve  the  morals  of  our 
people,  we  must  either  supply  the  essentials  gained 
through  the  moving  picture  show  from  wholesome  and 
thoroughly  moral  sources,  or  we  must  make  the  shows 
themselves  a  wholesome  form  of  recreation.  Perhaps 
it  is  necessary  to  do  both. 

The  moral  forces  of  the  community  should  endeavor 
to  develop  a  comprehensive  program  for  the  redemp- 
tion of  the  moving  picture.  The  churches  through  the 
pulpit,  and  through  their  various  subsidiary  organiza- 
tions, should  develop  effective  sentiment  in  favor  of 
clean  pictures.  This  sentiment  must  next  be  crystal- 
lized into  laws  controlling  moving  picture  shows  and 
providing  such  censorship  as  will  protect  the  patrons 
of  these  establishments.  The  present  practise  whereby 


234  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

pictures  can  be  condemned  only  after  they  have  been 
exhibited  and  then  only  by  the  police  is  thoroughly 
vicious,  because  it  enables  the  film  owner  to  capitalize 
the  results  of  such  inspections  to  tremendous  advan- 
tage. For  example,  film  exhibitors  have  applied  for 
injunctions  against  decisions  by  censors  and  have  thus 
gained  enormous  publicity  for  the  film  presented. 
Adequate  censorship  makes  possible  a  system  of  in- 
spection whereby  the  film  is  reviewed  before  it  is 
presented  and  the  objectionable  parts  cut  out  at  once. 
Responsible  persons  must  be  selected  for  the  work. 
They  must  have  high  ideals  and  yet  recognize  the 
necessary  part  that  the  comic  and  humorous  films  play 
in  the  economy  of  a  people.  The  further  details  must 
be  fitted  into  the  practical  organization  of  our  munici- 
pal government.  No  system  of  censorship  is  self- 
operating.  Unless  sentiment  approves  and  insists  on 
presentable  subjects,  little  will  be  done.  The  greatest 
good  will  be  accomplished  when  public  and  philan- 
thropic agencies,  including  the  churches  and  schools, 
grasp  the  opportunity  which  moving  pictures  afford 
and  use  them  to  best  advantage. 

3.    The  Theater 

The  theaters,  especially  the  cheap  theaters,  offer  a 
similar  problem.  There  are  several  of  the  latter  in  the 
city  and  their  appeal  is  in  large  part  to  the  lower  ele- 
ments in  man.  In  these  houses  vaudeville  predomi- 
nates and  vulgar  presentations  are  common.  Many  of 
the  advertisements  of  the  plays  emphasize  the  sensual 
and  appeal  directly  to  sex  passion,  while  the  plays  are 
as  vulgar  and  suggestive  as  the  police  will  allow. 
One  theater  is  frequented  almost  entirely  by  men,  and 


LEISURE  AND  RECREATION  235 

women  are  not  expected.  The  remainder  are  patron- 
ized by  both  sexes,  but  principally  by  working  girls  and 
doubtful  groups  of  men.  On  the  other  hand,  the  low- 
priced  theater  may  present  high  grade  vaudeville  per- 
formances, and  in  frequent  instances  does  so.  Many 
of  these  are  distinctly  educative,  or  at  least  gratifying, 
to  behold  and  wholly  devoid  of  evil;  and  with  them 
may  go  a  series  of  musical  numbers  that  are  profitable 
to  the  audience.  The  unfortunate  feature  of  many 
of  the  performances,  however,  lies  in  the  injection  of 
some  doubtful  or  demoralizing  number  so  as  to  give 
"  flavor  "  to  the  program.  These  houses  possess  a 
real  opportunity  to  serve  the  public  beneficently.  The 
one-act  play,  the  farce,  feats  of  physical  prowess, 
unique  exhibitions,  and  innocent  fun  can  be  a  source 
of  pleasure  and  educative  uplift  and  receive  the  plau- 
dits of  an  appreciative  public.  The  high-priced  theater 
cannot  reach  the  masses;  but  the  theater-going  public 
should  be  provided  with  the  most  wholesome  things 
that  the  stage  can  afford. 

Great  interest  is  attached  to  the  so-called  "  legiti- 
mate "  stage.  Prices  vary  from  fifty  cents  in  the 
gallery  to  two  dollars  in  the  parquet.  Here  may  be 
seen  the  Shakespearian  actors  and  the  celebrated  stars 
in  more  recent  types  of  dramatic  art.  There  are  few 
people  who  would  not  approve  of  thoroughly  high 
class  artistic  performances.  The  power  of  dramatic 
portrayal  and  of  scenic  presentation  necessary  for  the 
adequate  production  of  the  serious  drama  of  the  last 
quarter  century  is  highly  inspirational  and  cultural. 
Heavy  drama,  however,  is  not  the  daily  fare  here,  as 
it  is  on  the  Continental  stage,  because  the  American 
people  are  not  willing  nor  able  to  assimilate  this  variety 


236  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

of  art  in  large  consecutive  doses.  Accordingly,  lighter 
plays  and  comedy  are  introduced  to  alternate  with 
the  drama.  These  may  be  delightful  and  a  perfect 
antidote  for  the  careworn  man  or  woman,  and  if  so, 
are  worthy  of  our  praise.  But  they  are  not  always 
of  this  variety.  Only  too  often  they  contain  a  spice 
and  glamour  similar  to  that  in  the  low-priced  theater 
and  with  effects  that  cannot  be  much  different.  In 
other  words,  the  patrons  of  high-priced  dramatic  art 
run  a  moral  risk  similar  to  that  of  the  man  with  only  a 
quarter  or  less  to  spend. 

An  interesting  development  of  recent  years  is  the 
sociological  play.  The  recognition  by  theater  mana- 
gers of  the  opportunity  for  this  type  of  play  is  signifi- 
cant. Nevertheless,  the  purpose  has  been,  in  part, 
perverted.  Too  often  the  play  has  been  saturated  with 
morbid  details  and  relentless  scenes  that  stalk  spectre- 
like  into  the  minds  of  hearers  and  spectators,  and  give 
a  sum  total  of  effects  different  from  that  intended  by 
the  playwright,  although  not  necessarily  other  than 
that  deliberately  planned  by  the  theater  management. 

Playhouses  are  not  operated  to  educate  or  uplift 
the  public.  Their  prime  purpose  is  to  return  dividends 
to  the  stockholders.  Therefore,  the  plays  and  per- 
formances presented  are  expected  to  draw  profitable 
crowds,  and  if  they  fail,  the  performances  are  termi- 
nated. If,  therefore,  the  sensual  and  suggestive  are 
emphasized,  it  indicates  that  the  people  tend  to  enjoy 
this  variety  of  production.  Unwholesome  plays  are 
an  effect,  not  merely  a  cause.  Still,  immoral  plays 
are  forced  upon  a  people,  and  all  plays  that  do  not 
represent  popular  desire  can  be  eliminated.  Christian 
people,  however,  can  well  afford  to  consider  the 


LEISURE  AND  RECREATION  237 

modern  stage  as  a  sort  of  mirror;  and  if  the  stage  is 
to  be  improved,  as  it  must  be,  their  practical  standards 
must  be  raised  and  be  resolutely  applied  to  every  form 
of  dramatic  art. 

4.    Music 

A  further  form  of  recreation  is  music.  A  city  with 
so  large  a  population  of  music-loving  foreigners  and 
their  descendants  as  St.  Louis  is  well  supplied  with 
bands,  orchestras,  music  teachers,  and  music  masters. 

During  the  summer  months  free  band  concerts  of 
excellent  quality  are  given  periodically  in  a  number  of 
the  large  parks,  and  thousands  of  people  come  forth 
to  enjoy  the  music.  Excellent  music  is  also  frequently 
rendered  at  several  of  the  various  private  pleasure 
gardens  of  the  city,  although  other  features  of  these 
amusement  places  are  not  always  so  stimulating  or 
helpful. 

The  city  is  distinctly  backward  in  regard  to  grand 
opera.  Until  the  winter  of  1915-16  it  had  been  a  regu- 
lar feature  of  the  winter's  enjoyment,  but  the  absence 
of  a  suitable  hall  for  the  presentation  of  the  operas 
is  most  regrettable.  Grand  opera  should  afford  an 
opportunity  to  hear  some,  at  least,  of  the  world's  best 
singers,  but  in  St.  Louis  no  building  is  properly 
equipped,  and  the  prices  charged  are  prohibitive  to 
the  great  mass  of  citizens.  The  idea  that  grand  opera 
must  be  made  democratic  has  not  gained  any  foothold 
among  the  promoters  of  the  institution.  It  is  a  luxury 
of  the  wealthy  and  the  common  people  are  shut  out. 
The  same  situation  practically  exists  when  some  noted 
artist  is  presented  for  any  afternoon  or  evening  pro- 
gram. The  masses,  are,  therefore,  forced  to  content 


238  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

themselves  with  the  relatively  inferior  artists  or  with 
the  phonographic  reproductions  of  grand  opera. 

The  most  ambitious  musical  project  is  the  St.  Louis 
Symphony  Orchestra.  This  organization  carries 
through  an  elaborate  program  every  year,  and  secures 
famous  singers,  violinists,  and  pianists.  It  also  offers 
a  popular  concert  which  is  well  attended  and  very 
successful,  but  lacks  the  presence  of  eminent  soloists. 
There  are  practical  handicaps  in  the  way  of  the  popu- 
larization of  the  best  music,  but  they  must  not  be  per- 
mitted to  interfere  with  the  purpose  to  make  music 
and  song — yes,  the  best  music  and  song — an  instru- 
ment for  the  culture  and  inspiration  of  the  masses. 

VI.    Recreation  and  the  Church 

It  is  not  possible  to  determine  accurately  what  pro- 
portion of  the  recreation  enjoyed  is  furnished  by 
public,  philanthropic,  and  religious  organizations,  and 
by  the  commercial  agencies.  It  is  true  that  the  public 
and  non-commercial  agencies  have  not  developed  a 
complete  and  consistent  program  to  meet  the  popular 
need  and  that  the  commercial  agencies  have  entered 
every  field  where  a  profitable  venture  was  likely.  Ac- 
cordingly, a  large  proportion,  perhaps  one  third  of  all 
the  recreation,  is  still  furnished  by  the  latter  group. 
If  recreation  is  a  character  builder  and  an  indis- 
pensable factor  in  one's  development,  then  its  social 
control  becomes  absolutely  necessary.  That  is,  we 
cannot  afford  to  allow  the  development  of  our  morals 
to  depend  on  the  caprices  of  the  manipulators  of  com- 
mercial amusement.  It  must  become  the  concern  of 
the  Christian  people,  and,  if  so,  recreation  must  be 
guided  into  the  proper  channels.  As  a  result  the  moral 


LEISURE  AND  RECREATION  239 

and  religious  elements  in  the  community  must  ef- 
fectively consider  the  problem  and  develop  an  adequate 
program  to  meet  the  legitimate  demands  for  recrea- 
tion and  amusement. 

Why  should  not  .the  municipality  provide  more 
parks,  playgrounds,  swimming  pools,  and  public  meet- 
ing places?  Why  should  not  the  schools  be  used 
as  social  centers,  thereby  meeting  recreational  needs 
and  promoting  democracy?  Why  should  not  the 
churches  supplement  these  activities  and  provide  such 
as  may  be  consistent  with  their  work  and  helpful  to 
the  community?  Can  other  social  agencies  afford  to 
neglect  this  service?  When  these  groups  perform 
their  duty,  the  commercial  recreations  will  dwindle  to 
a  minimum  and  will  probably  serve  the  least  moral 
groups  only.  As  a  real  factor  in  the  recreation  prob- 
lem they  will  have  disappeared.  But  this  will  not 
occur  until  the  Christian  people  of  the  community, 
inspired  by  a  realization  of  the  human  value  of  whole- 
some leisure  and  recreation,  demand  and  make  ade- 
quate provision  for  this  important  influence  on  char- 
acter and  ideals. 


IX. 

GOVERNMENT 

I.    Value  of  Self -Government 

Government  is  merely  ourselves  as  citizens,  acting 
together  in  an  organized  way  to  do  certain  things  that 
we  cannot  leave  to  voluntary  action.  We  are  the 
government,  and  therefore  it  expresses,  to  a  large  ex- 
tent at  least,  the  state  of  public  opinion;  but  govern- 
ment is  machinery  which  does  not  always  run  smoothly 
according  to  our  wishes.  To  some  extent  it  may  not 
reflect  the  will  of  the  people.  Ours  is  the  form  of 
government  founded  on  the  principles  of  democracy 
with  all  its  advantages  and  disadvantages.  Having 
chosen  to  rule  ourselves  instead  of  delegating  this 
task  to  some  benevolent  despot,  we  must  pay  the  price 
as  well  as  reap  the  gains.  It  is  better  to  think  for 
ourselves  than  to  pay  an  overlord  to  think  for  us. 
American  manhood  is  better  because  of  responsibili- 
ties imposed  on  it.  We  gain  by  receiving  power  and 
carrying  duties.  Rather  than  having  prohibition 
handed  to  us  by  some  well-meaning  autocrat,  we 
should  wait  until  our  citizenship  demands  it.  Instead 
of  being  presented  with  a  workman's  compensation, 
old  age  insurance,  or  modern  child  labor  law,  we  can 
afford  to  wait  until  the  people  insist  on  such  laws.  We 
will  have  a  better  and  more  virile  citizenship  as  a  result. 
Democracy  not  only  gives  expression  to  public  opinion, 
241 


242  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

but  it  naturally  and  inevitably  develops  the  people.  A 
democracy  cannot  stand  still;  it  must  move,  forward 
or  backward. 

i.   Virtues  of  Democracy 

Democracy  is  itself  a  form  of  discipline.  The  reign 
of  the  brotherhood  of  man  cannot  take  place  except 
in  a  democracy,  and  therefore  this  form  of  govern- 
ment is  the  greatest  asset  that  the  Christian  religion 
can  enjoy.  Furthermore,  the  individual  Christian  can 
find  no  better  way  of  promoting  the  kingdom  of  God 
than  by  resolutely  supporting  democracy  and  using  his 
efforts  to  make  it  realize  its  ideals.  For  these  reasons 
our  government  is  of  fundamental  concern  to  every 
Christian. 

What,  then,  is  the  religious  value  of  democracy? 
First  and  foremost,  it  promotes  unselfishness.  To 
rule  ourselves  means  to  limit  ourselves  voluntarily  so 
as  to  promote  the  interests  of  all.  "  Now  we  that  are 
strong  ought  to  bear  the  infirmities  of  the  weak." 
"  Let  no  man  seek  his  own,  but  each  his  neighbor's 
good."  Only  in  a  democracy  can  men  rise  to  a  volun- 
tary and  willing  subordination  of  themselves  to  the 
interests  of  the  community.  It  is,  therefore,  a  dis- 
cipline which  makes  better  men  and  more  unselfish, 
disinterested  human  beings.  The  failure  of  Christian- 
ity to  vitalize  religion  in  many  countries  of  the  world, 
both  in  the  past  and  at  present,  is  partly  due  to  un- 
democratic principles  of  government. 

In  a  similar  way,  democracy  promotes  the  spirit  of 
cooperation,  self-denial,  concern  for  the  weak,  oppor- 
tunity, and  justice.  It  develops  personal  moral  quali- 
ties through  the  multitudinous  contacts  that  take  place 


GOVERNMENT  243 

and  that  necessarily  affect  our  relationship  with  others. 
A  Christian  government  creates  an  environment  and 
develops  relationships  so  wholesome  that  it  becomes  at 
once  an  important  spiritual  asset.  A  vital  problem  for 
the  individual  Christian,  therefore,  is  to  make  our 
government  as  much  of  a  spiritual  power  as  possible. 
The  Christian  must  not  simply  go  to  the  polls  on  elec- 
tion day;  he  must  make  government  his  moral  agent 
rather  than  allow  the  unprincipled  to  make  it  a  curse. 

2.    Development  of  Standards 

Practical  government  to-day  can  accomplish  certain 
important  ends.  In  actual  fact  it  is  not  the  people, 
but  a  certain  influential  portion  of  the  people,  who 
rule.  This  ruling  class  can  make  the  government  its 
instrument  for  creating  ideals.  While,  in  the  main, 
government  crystallizes  the  past,  it  can,  in  the  hands 
of  progressive  citizens,  forecast  the  future.  For  ex- 
ample, successful  governmental  control  of  the  light 
or  gas  industry  may  show  what  our  citizens  in  their 
corporate  capacity  can  accomplish,  or  mothers'  pen- 
sions, on  a  small  scale,  may  indicate  the  possibility  of 
successful  philanthropic  work  on  a  large  scale. 
Furthermore,  government  establishes  minimum  stand- 
ards. The  majority  of  the  ruling  class  adopt  an  ideal 
and  soon  all  will  agree  to  its  practicability.  Laws  aim- 
ing to  prohibit  littering  the  streets  and  sidewalks,  spit- 
ting in  public  places,  and  the  maintenance  of  nuisances 
are  cases  in  point.  Probably  the  laws,  when  enacted, 
were  not  definitely  supported  by  a  majority  of  voters. 
In  a  short  time,  however,  the  regulations  justified 
themselves  and  the  public  accepted  them  without  re- 
serve. The  essential  good  is  this:  higher  standards 


244  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

of  conduct  have  been  accepted  by  the  masses  and  a 
real  gain  in  morality  has  been  achieved. 

II.    The  Home  Rule  Problem 
i.    Realm  of  State  Government 

Some  knowledge  of  the  relation  of  St.  Louis  to  the 
state  government  is  very  important.  As  is  well  known, 
state  law  covers  all  of  the  important  governmental 
matters,  while  the  minor  ones  are  left  to  the  city. 
Such  essentially  moral  problems  as  marriage,  divorce, 
desertion,  juvenile  delinquency,  age  of  consent,  major 
crimes  of  all  sorts,  the  merit  system,  and  many  others 
— all  of  them  directly  affecting  St.  Louis — are  the  ob- 
jects of  state  and  not  municipal  legislation.  If  we 
want  better  laws  for  the  care  and  treatment  of  bad 
boys  and  girls,  we  must  secure  them  from  the  state 
legislature.  If  we  want  to  add  important  restrictions 
to  our  present  liquor  laws,  we  must  enlist  the  interest 
of  the  state,  although  the  city  is  empowered  to  add 
certain  minor  restrictions  directly.  Moral  advance  in 
St.  Louis  is  therefore  closely  bound  up  with  the  moral 
progress  of  the  whole  state.  Usually  the  rural  and  the 
urban  districts  differ  from  each  other  on  certain  points, 
and  the  resultant  compromises  are  satisfactory  to 
neither.  The  struggle  between  the  "  wets "  and 
"  drys  "  in  the  legislature  of  1915  practically  paralyzed 
all  of  the  social  legislation  proposed.  The  cities  may 
want  better  child  labor  and  school  attendance  laws, 
while  the  country  districts  oppose  them.  As  a  city 
we  are  but  part  of  a  larger  body,  the  state,  with  five 
times  our  population.  We  need,  therefore,  not  only 
to  send  good  men  to  our  legislature  and  to  vote  for 
honest,  efficient,  God-loving  candidates  for  state  office, 


GOVERNMENT  245 

but  also  to  consider  the  responsibility  for  St.  Louis 
of  the  remainder  of  the  state. 

2.  Local  Self-Government 

In  America  we  have  long  lingered  under  the  benevo- 
lent principle  of  local  self-government,  which,  if  car- 
ried to  the  extreme,  however,  becomes  anarchy.  Ap- 
plied to  the  cities,  this  principle  is  called  "  home  rule." 
At  the  outset  we  must  realize  that  local  self-govern- 
ment has  definite  limitations.  In  isolated  communi- 
ties it  might  properly  be  complete,  but  in  our  modern 
civilization  where  people  move  freely  from  one  com- 
munity to  another,  and  where  the  standards  and 
methods  of  one  section  inevitably  affect  another,  com- 
plete local  self-government  becomes  provincial  and 
sadly  retards  the  march  of  progress.  Those  matters 
that  are  of  general  or  community  interest  must  be  dealt 
with  by  the  larger  political  unit;  those  that  are  ex- 
clusively local,  by  the  local  unit;  but  the  enforcement 
of  general  laws  must  frequently  be  left  to  each  sep- 
arate community. 

Home  rule  has  different  meanings  in  different  cities, 
owing  to  the  varying  powers  granted  by  the  states  to 
their  municipalities.  St.  Louis  is  one  of  the  few 
cities  that  may  make  its  own  charter  without  state  in- 
terference, and  to  this  extent  we  enjoy  home  rule. 
The  home  rule  issue  in  this  city  relates  particularly 
to  the  control  of  the  police,  election,  and  excise  de- 
partments. The  chief  problems  involved  are  proper 
enforcement  of  law,  efficient  officers,  honesty,  elimi- 
nation of  partisanship,  and  local  self-government. 

The  Police.  At  present,  our  police  board,  with 
the  exception  of  the  mayor,  who  is  an  ex-officio  mem- 


246  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

her,  is  appointed  by  the  governor,  and  frequently  as- 
sumes a  partisan  complexion.  The  active  police  offi- 
cials are  selected  by  the  board  and  the  whole  police 
system  is  under  its  control.  Many  believe  that  the 
board  should  be  abolished  and  a  commissioner  ap- 
pointed by  the  mayor  and  made  responsible  to  him. 
Others  would  adopt  a  compromise  by  having  the  com- 
missioner selected  locally,  but  removable  by  the  gov- 
ernor. The  opponents  of  complete  home  rule  point 
to  the  fact  that  15,000  arrests  made  annually  are  of 
state  cases  and  that  the  police  may  be  used  in  unlaw- 
ful ways  to  affect  the  election  results.  This  argument 
is  based  partly  on  principle,  but  to  some  extent  on  ex- 
pediency, since  Missouri  is  normally  Democratic  while 
St.  Louis  is  Republican.  That  the  state  has  a  com- 
pelling interest  in  the  efficiency  of  the  police  is  evident 
from  their  duties.  It  seems  reasonable,  therefore,  to 
conclude  that  absolute  home  rule,  in  this  respect,  is 
inconsistent  with  our  best  interests. 

Excise  Commissioner.  The  excise  commissioner 
is  one  of  the  chief  factors  in  the  enforcement  of  our 
liquor  laws.  Since  all  liquor  dealers  are  required  to 
pay  federal,  state,  and  city  licenses,  the  state  is  quite 
naturally  an  interested  party.  The  commissioner  is 
appointed  by  the  governor  and  is  frequently  controlled 
by  him.  The  recent  lax  enforcement  of  law  has  been 
attributed  by  many  to  the  influence  of  the  state  ad- 
ministration. On  the  other  hand,  it  is  held  that  if 
the  excise  commissioner  were  appointed  by  the  mayor, 
a  less  efficient  officer  would  be  obtained,  and  the  state 
laws,  which  are  not  very  popular  in  St.  Louis,  would 
not  be  rigidly  enforced.  Experience  under  the  last  ad- 
ministration, however,  practically  destroys  this  argu- 


GOVERNMENT  247 

ment,  because  many  violations  of  law  were  discovered 
and  wine  rooms  had  again  begun  to  flourish.  Probably 
a  system  of  joint  control  is  the  more  desirable  at  the 
present  time.  We  must  always  remember,  however, 
that  we  gain  in  morality  and  self-control  by  being 
granted  the  largest  possible  amount  of  freedom  con- 
sistent with  the  general  welfare. 

Election  Commissioners.  The  elections  and  the 
registration  of  voters  are  supervised  by  a  commission 
of  four  persons,  two  from  each  of  the  two  leading 
parties.  This  plan  practically  assures  non-partisan  ad- 
ministration of  the  law,  although  there  remains  the 
opportunity  for  discrimination  against  the  minor 
parties.  Probably  these  parties,  if  of  sufficient  signifi- 
cance, should  also  have  representation  on  the  board. 
The  elections  in  a  large  city  lend  themselves  so  easily 
to  ballot-box  stuffing,  intimidation,  and  other  manipu- 
lations that  the  interest  of  the  state  cannot  be  neg- 
lected. A  dishonest  vote  in  this  city  might  upset  the 
results  for  the  entire  state  or  even  for  the  nation.  No 
plan  of  control,  whether  under  the  direction  of  the 
local  or  the  state  government,  is  likely  to  work  well 
unless  organized  on  a  bi-partisan  or  non-partisan  basis. 
Temporarily  at  least,  the  { former  plan  is  better,  for 
so-called  non-partisan  boards  frequently  degenerate 
into  violently  partisan  bodies. 

A  careful  study  of  the  situation  indicates  that  home 
rule  is  not  a  simple  question  to  be  decided  affirma- 
tively or  negatively,  but  that  important  social,  politi- 
cal, and  moral  results  are  at  stake.  The  great  essential 
is  to  move  forward,  to  uplift  the  body  of  our  citizen- 
ship, to  promote  the  general  welfare,  and  to  create 
better  standards  and  ideals. 


248  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

///.    The  Municipal  Government 

St.  Louis  has  been  an  incorporated  city  for  nearly 
one  hundred  years.  It  has  enjoyed  and  suffered  many 
charters  granted  to  it  by  the  state,  and  in  1875  it  was 
given  the  right  to  make  its  own.  Accordingly  a 
charter  was  adopted  in  1876.  As  this  became  inade- 
quate, a  board  of  freeholders  was  elected  in  1909 
which  drafted  a  proposed  charter  for  the  city;  but  its 
provisions  were  thought  by  many  to  permit  so  much 
corporation  control  of  municipal  affairs  and  to  grant 
so  little  power  to  the  people  that  it  was  badly  defeated 
at  the  special  election  held  in  1911.  The  people,  how- 
ever, were  weary  of  the  old  charter  and  a  new  board 
was  elected  in  1913,  which,  after  many  months  of 
service,  submitted  a  new  charter  which  was  ratified  by 
the  people  in  1914. 

i.  The  Recent  Charter 

The  following  are  some  of  the  more  important  pro- 
visions of  this  new  instrument  of  government : 

The  elective  city  officials  are :  the  mayor,  comptrol- 
ler, and  board  of  aldermen.  Responsibility  is  thus 
centered,  with  advantage,  on  fewer  officials. 

The  former  two-house  system  has  been  displaced 
by  a  single  board  of  aldermen,  one  man  to  be  selected 
from  each  of  the  twenty-eight  wards,  but  voted  on  by 
the  entire  city.  Since  the  whole  city  cannot  be  cor- 
rupted so  easily  as  can  one  ward,  a  better  class  of  offi- 
cials will  be  chosen.  A  new  danger,  however,  has 
made  itself  evident.  It  is  almost  inevitable  that  the 
entire  board  of  aldermen  will  be  composed  of  men 
belonging  to  the  same  political  party,  and  the  minority 


GOVERNMENT  249 

party  will  have  no  representation  whatever.  This 
result  is  quite  at  variance  with  the  just  principle  of  pro- 
portional representation,  according  to  which  each  party 
would  be  represented  in  the  board  by  the  same  pro- 
portion of  the  whole  number  of  officials  as  the  votes 
cast  for  that  party  form  of  the  entire  number  of  votes 
registered. 

Elected  officers  may  be  recalled.  A  recall  petition 
must  be  signed  by  twenty  per  cent,  of  the  registered 
voters  before  the  people  may  vote  upon  the  question. 

Provision  is  made  for  the  initiative,  five  per  cent, 
of  the  voters  being  required  for  a  general,  and  seven 
per  cent,  for  a  special,  election.  This  enables  the  citi- 
zens to  enact  legislation  directly  if  their  wishes  are 
opposed  by  the  city  administration. 

The  referendum  may  be  made  effective.  No  bills 
except  emergency  measures  become  laws  until  thirty 
days  after  their  adoption,  and  if,  within  that  time,  two 
per  cent,  of  the  voters  desire  an  opportunity  to  ex- 
press their  views,  they  can  delay  the  adoption  of  the 
ordinance  for  forty  days,  but  five  per  cent,  are  neces- 
sary to  submit  the  ordinance  to  the  people  for  con- 
sideration. 

The  new  charter  abruptly  repeals  the  restrictions  of 
the  old  one  relative  to  public  utilities  and  gives  the  city 
ample  power  to  buy,  control,  and  operate  them  if  it 
desires.  This  most  wholesome  provision  goes  far  to 
relieve  us  from  corporate  oppression,  and  opens  the 
way  for  the  gradual  ownership  and  control  of  munici- 
pal public  utilities.  The  right  to  regulate  utilities  is 
equally  clear. 

The  creation  of  the  efficiency  board  was  one  of  the 
greatest  forward  steps.  Elective  officials,  the  heads 


250  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

MUNICIPAL 

THE  CITY  ORGANIZATION  UNDER  THE  CHARTER 


GOVERNMENT 


251 


EDUCATIONAL 

THE  SCHOOL  DISTRICT 
ORGANIZATION 


ORGANIZATION 

CORRESPONDING  TO  THAT 
OF  A  COUNTY 


of  departments,  and  their  secretaries  are  exempt,  but 
all  other  employees  of  the  city  are  required  to  take 
the  competitive  examinations  conducted  by  the  board. 
Eligible  lists  of  successful  candidates  are  prepared  and 
appointing  officers  are  required  to  choose  one  of  the 
three  highest  persons  on  the  certified  list. 

The  mayor  may  veto  particular  items  in  a  bill  with- 
out vetoing  the  entire  bill. 

The  budget  system  is  introduced  into  our  financial 


252  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

operation,  thereby  lessening  the  opportunity  for 
municipal  graft. 

The  complete  outline  of  our  municipal  government 
is  given  in  the  accompanying  table  prepared  by  the 
Board  of  Public  Service  and  the  Civic  League. 

St.  Louis  is  one  of  very  few  cities  with  a  school 
organization  separate  from  the  municipal  government. 
Formerly  the  school  board  was  a  department  of  the 
government,  but  the  corruption  became  so  grave  that 
the  voters  overthrew  the  old  system  and  established 
the  school  administration  on  an  independent  basis. 
Politics  has  been  almost  eliminated  as  a  result,  for 
usually  the  two  parties  agree  upon  a  ticket  which 
divides  the  offices  between  them.  Without  doubt,  the 
schools  have  greatly  increased  their  efficiency.  Per- 
haps the  chief  drawback  is  the  difficulty  in  securing 
close  cooperation  between  the  board  of  education  and 
such  municipal  agencies  as  the  park,  health,  and  hospi- 
tal divisions.  With  these  departments  all  closely  co- 
ordinated under  the  same  general  head,  better  coopera- 
tion could  be  effected. 


2.   The  City  Budget 

Although  every  department  is  important  and  care- 
fully related  to  the  remainder,  the  interest  of  the  citi- 
zen, from  a  Christian  standpoint,  centers  largely  in 
the  boards  and  departments  engaged  in  health,  philan- 
thropic, educational,  and  correctional  work.  Most  of 
these  features  of  our  government  are  grouped  together 
in  the  department  of  public  welfare. 

The  various  lines  of  work  and  the  cost  of  each 
for  the  year  1915-16  are  given  in  the  following  table: 


GOVERNMENT  253 


Director  of  public  welfare  and  expenses..  $8,556.76 

Legal  Aid  Bureau  (part  of  year) 2,491.00 

Health    Commissioner    . ..  26,051.19 

City    Chemist    14,360.44 

Sanitary   Division 118,250.99 

Exterminating    Mosquitoes    5,010.93 

Union   Market  Comfort  Station   3,613.27 

Court  House  Comfort  Station  3,233-79 

Hospital   Division    813,516.51 

Parks  and  Recreation    508,933.17 

Division  of  Correction    134,692.65 

Miscellaneous  charities  and  pensions  191,517.48 

Total  $1,830,228.18 

Courts  dealing  with  juvenile  or  adult 

offenders  (city  and  state)  464,094.90 

Police  Department  2,148,932.63 


Total    $4,443,255.71 

Board  of  Education  $4,379,246.06 

Out  of  a  total  expenditure  of  over  $16,000,000  by 
the  school  board  and  the  municipal  government  in  all 
its  departments,  more  than  $4,000,000  is  expended  for 
four  general  purposes — health,  recreation,  charities, 
and  crime.  One  half  of  the  amount  is  spent  on  the 
police;  the  health  and  hospital  work  costs  nearly  one 
million,  and  the  remainder  goes  to  charity  or  is  spent 
on  correctional  work.  There  is  an  enormous  expendi- 
ture bearing  particularly  on  the  moral  and  social  con- 
ditions of  the  city.  At  once  several  questions  suggest 
themselves.  Is  this  money  wisely  apportioned?  Is  it 
efficiently  used?  Are  we  simply  relieving  bad  condi- 
tions, or  are  we  preventing  them?  How  much  of  this 
expenditure  should  finally  be  wiped  out?  Christian 
citizenship  demands  that  we  attempt  to  answer  these 
questions,  that  we  inquire  whether  we  have  capable 
officials  at  work — men  with  vision  and  power  who  are 
reducing  disease,  vice,  poverty,  and  crime.  If  they 
are  not,  the  fault  lies  largely  with  us  and  we  are  fail- 


254  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

ing  to  use  government  as  an  effective  instrument  of 
religious  effort. 

3.    The  City  and  Social  Welfare 

The  Department  of  Public  Welfare  is  composed  of 
four  divisions,  health,  hospital,  park  and  recreation, 
and  correction.  The  health  division  has  charge  of 
birth  and  death  registration,  markets,  quarantines,  and 
the  morgue;  it  enforces  laws  relative  to  public  health, 
and  works  in  general  for  the  promotion  of  health.  In 
this  work  the  police  are  expected  to  give  some  as- 
sistance by  reporting  any  disease  or  nuisance  they  may 
find  in  their  daily  patrol  of  the  city.  The  sanitary 
officers  of  the  health  division  are  not  sufficiently  nu- 
merous to  enable  them  to  inspect  tenement  houses, 
yards,  courts,  and  alleys  with  sufficient  frequency  to 
gain  good  results. 

The  hospital  division  includes  the  hospitals,  city  in- 
firmary, medical  laboratories,  dispensaries,  sanitarium 
or  hospital  for  the  insane,  and  the  municipal  nurse 
work.  The  care  of  the  sick  is  a  tremendous  task,  and 
the  development  of  methods  of  control  that  will  safe- 
guard the  public  money  against  the  imposition  of 
those  able  to  pay  for  their  service  is  likewise  no  easy 
matter.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  difficult  to  maintain 
public  hospitals  on  a  plane  that  prevents  people  from 
shrinking  at  the  thought  of  public  philanthropy  as 
compared  with  that  of  private  institutions,  although 
both  may  be  entirely  free. 

Care  of  Criminals.  The  charter  provides  for  a 
commissioner  of  correction  to  have  charge  of  and 
supervise  our  detention,  penal,  and  correctional  insti- 
tutions, such  as  the  jail  and  workhouse;  but  no  ap- 


GOVERNMENT  255 

pointment  has  as  yet  been  made.  This  division  of 
work  is  one  of  the  most  unsatisfactory  in  the  city. 
The  new  jail  is  almost  completed,  but  the  prospect  of 
a  municipal  farm  to  replace  our  antiquated  workhouse 
is  still  far  in  the  future.  Meanwhile  our  court  system 
is  handicapped.  Criminals  cannot  be  properly  handled 
and  judges  may  be  influenced  on  the  side  of  leniency 
by  this  fact.  The  charter  provides  a  maximum  fine  of 
$500  for  violations  of  ordinance,  and  a  maximum 
workhouse  sentence  of  100  days  for  such  violation; 
and  it  permits  the  city  to  enact  a  law  whereby  the 
drunkard  or  other  habitual  delinquent  may  be  detained 
in  some  suitable  institution  on  an  indeterminate  sen- 
tence not  to  exceed  one  year  with  a  view  to  his  reform 
and  cure.  Such  an  ordinance  has  actually  become  a 
law,  but  it  seems  to  interfere  with  the  state  law  and 
no  attempt  to  put  it  in  operation  has  yet  been  made; 
consequently  no  effective  method  of  reforming  delin- 
quents is  possible. 

Social  Investigation.  One  of  the  important  powers 
of  the  Department  of  Public  Welfare  has  hardly  been 
touched.  The  Board  of  Aldermen  may  provide  funds 
to  enable  the  department  to  study  the  causes  of 
poverty  and  publish  the  results,  and  to  make  similar 
investigations  of  delinquency,  crime,  disease,  and 
other  questions  relating  to  the  public  health,  morality, 
and  welfare.  It  was  the  aim  of  the  writers  of  the 
charter  to  make  the  Department  of  Public  Welfare  an 
educational  agency  which  would  enlighten  the  city  in 
regard  to  its  conditions  and  needs,  thus  enabling  the 
citizens  to  carry  out  a  program  of  preventive  work 
which  would  be  to  our  moral  and  social  advantage.  So 
far,  however,  no  attempt  to  accomplish  this  has  been 


256  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

made,  and  our  city  government  has  done  but  little  to 
throw  light  on  our  problems.  Quite  to  the  contrary 
is  the  record  which  Kansas  City  has  made  in  recent 
years:  provision  has  been  made  for  a  free  legal  aid 
bureau  which  is  now  conducted  by  the  city,  and  for 
a  municipal  lodging-house  which  has  been  operated 
each  year  during  the  winter  months.  Although  the 
St.  Louis  charter  permits  the  establishment  of  a  free 
employment  bureau,  this  institution  has  not  been 
authorized,  and  may  not  be  necessary  because  of  the 
federal  and  state  bureaus  operated  here. 

Lack  of  Published  Reports.  The  failure  of  the 
city  government  to  study  conditions  is,  however,  less 
inexcusable  than  its  failure  to  give  to  the  people  those 
facts  that  are  easily  accessible.  Our  governmental 
agencies  do  not  even  provide  our  citizens  adequately 
with  published  information  as  to  their  work  and 
services.  Our  court  system  is  particularly  delinquent, 
and  lacks  an  appreciation  of  the  sociological  signifi- 
cance of  proper  reports.  We  are  not  told  how  many 
divorces  are  granted  annually;  we  do  not  know  how 
many  arrested  men  are  convicted  of  felony  or  mis- 
demeanor, how  many  are  acquitted,  nor  the  proportion 
of  convictions  or  acquittals;  we  are  not  told  what  is 
done  with  the  drunkard  or  immoral  woman ;  we  know 
but  little  about  desertion  and  non-support  cases;  the 
work  of  the  juvenile  court  is  occasionally  reported  and 
that  of  other  courts  not  at  all.  Our  vital  statistics  tell 
us  little  about  illegitimacy,  we  have  no  information 
about  common  law  marriages,  and  the  volume  of  social 
disease  is  not  revealed.  Knowledge  is  the  first  step 
in  a  program  of  reform;  yet  much  of  the  information 
necessary  to  point  the  way  to  better  things  is  not 


GOVERNMENT  257 

summarized  nor  published  and  the  undigested  mass 
of  facts  remains  hidden  in  ponderous  volumes  of 
records  or  in  inaccessible  filing-cases. 

The  Efficiency  Board.  Some  evidence  of  the 
standards  prevailing  in  St.  Louis  is  seen  in  the  fight 
made  on  the  Efficiency  Board.  This  board  has  faith- 
fully attempted  to  carry  out  the  provisions  of  the 
charter;  and,  guided  and  helped  by  experts  in  various 
departments  of  work,  has  given  eminently  practical 
examinations.  No  small  board  can  be  acquainted  with 
the  practical  phases  of  every  existing  occupation; 
nevertheless,  it  can  meet  the  problem  in  the  way  sug- 
gested. One  of  the  results  of  the  work  of  the  board 
is  the  decline  of  the  system  of  passing  out  "  jobs  " 
to  the  "  boys."  Many  men  vote  a  certain  way  on  the 
promise  of  a  position  and  then  receive  it  whether 
they  are  fit  or  not.  This  low  ideal  of  municipal  gov- 
ernment has  had  control  of  many  cities  for  many 
years,  and  the  present  opposition  to  the  board  indicates 
that  we  have  not  reached  a  stage  where  public  opinion 
demands  good,  competent  men.  The  failure  of  the 
Board  of  Aldermen  to  make  adequate  appropriations 
is  not  to  their  credit,  and  the  other  attempts  to  pre- 
vent the  Efficiency  Board  from  establishing  eligible 
lists  reflects  seriously  on  the  high-mindedness  of  those 
who  have  objected.  Already  various  municipal  agen- 
cies have  expressed  their  delight  over  the  efficiency 
of  the  men  now  secured  for  work.  Give  the  board  a 
chance  to  develop  standards  of  service,  and  soon  our 
expenditures  will  mean  much  greater  results,  and  the 
caliber  of  our  city  employees  and  all  employees  will  be 
raised.  To  drive  out  the  vicious  spoils  system  means 
not  only  better  government  but  better  men.  When 


258  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

good  men  only  are  selected,  the  rank  and  file  must 
qualify  or  they  can  find  no  work. 

Tax  Dodging.  When  the  Pharisees  asked  Jesus 
about  the  Roman  taxes  he  took  a  penny,  and,  showing 
them  the  superscription  of  Caesar,  answered  them  by 
saying,  "  Render  therefore  unto  Caesar  the  things  that 
are  Caesar's,  and  unto  God  the  things  that  are  God's." 
It  was  a  lesson  in  honesty  and  aimed  particularly 
against  tax  dodging — an  evil  that  is  almost  universal 
and  practised  by  many  "  good  "  citizens.  The  local 
situation  is  a  serious  one.  The  assessed  valuation  of 
St.  Louis  property  was,  in  1916,  fixed  at  $630,000,000 
and  the  tax  rate  at  $2.35  per  $100.00.  Less  than  one 
sixth  of  this  amount  is  personal  property,  which  has 
an  unusual  capacity  for  escaping  the  eyes  of  the  as- 
sessor. There  is  no  doubt — for  the  discrepancy  be- 
tween the  tax  returns  and  the  probate  record  of  es- 
tates proves  it — that  many  men  do  not  accurately 
record  their  personal  belongings.  In  the  country  dis- 
tricts tax  dodging  usually  takes  the  form  of  under- 
valuation of  farm  lands  and  of  livestock,  but  taxes 
are  paid  on  the  evaluated  property.  In  St.  Louis  the 
dodging  is  deliberately  executed  by  property  owners 
who  fail  to  give  a  correct  return  of  their  property. 
Before  we  can  expect  the  country  districts  to  act  fairly, 
we  must  sweep  before  our  own  doors.  A  policy  of 
Christian  morality  must  eventually  force  us  to  be 
honest  with  ourselves  and  the  remainder  of  the  state. 
Tax  dodging  involves  individual  morality,  but  is  in 
part  induced  by  defects  in  government  or  administra- 
tion which  make  a  correct  return  of  property  values 
an  injustice  to  the  taxpayers.  The  Christian  must 
work  out  two  problems :  first,  the  system  of  taxation 


GOVERNMENT  259 

must  be  made  ethically  right,  so  as  to  reduce  the  in- 
justice to  honest  taxpayers;  and  second,  the  tax- 
payers must  be  inspired  with  honest  motives. 

Partisanship.  A  severe  handicap  to  the  promotion 
of  morals  through  government  is  undue  partisanship. 
Men  follow  the  political  inclinations  of  their  fathers 
and  often  fail  to  practise  the  fundamentals  of  Chris- 
tian common  sense.  Men  are  not  angels  or  devils  be- 
cause they  are  Republicans  or  Democrats;  yet  all  of 
the  men  on  one  ticket  are  likely  to  win  on  election 
day.  In  a  municipal  election  the  parties  seldom  pre- 
sent definite  issues.  As  far  as  the  conduct  of  the  local 
government  is  concerned,  it  would  make  little  differ- 
ence which  ticket  was  elected,  but  on  each  ticket  there 
is  the  widest  difference  in  the  character  of  candidates. 
The  municipal  government  will  be  a  power  for  good 
only  when  men  of  ability,  probity,  and  character  are 
chosen.  Good  government  leagues  and  municipal 
voters'  leagues  should  have  the  support  of  our  best 
citizens  at  all  times.  Their  aim  is  to  determine  the 
moral  fitness  and  skill  of  men  for  office  so  that  voters 
may  choose  wisely.  So  far  these  organizations  have 
scarcely  influenced  our  local  politics;  nevertheless,  we 
must  listen  to  their  advice  if  we  are  to  continue  to 
improve  our  local  administration.  The  corruption  of 
fifteen  years  ago  is  history,  but  we  cannot  now  boast 
of  a  corps  of  officials  whose  sole  ambition  is  to  serve 
the  people  through  the  positions  to  which  they  have 
been  entrusted.  Otherwise,  why  are  questions  not 
answered  on  their  merits  instead  of  on  the  basis  of  the 
effects  on  this  or  that  group  of  citizens?  Why  is 
public  interest  subordinated  to  private  ?  Why  has  our 
city  wrestled  with  the  Terminal  Association,  with  the 


260  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

wine  room,  tenement  house,  and  clean  milk  problems 
for  many  years  without  coming  to  satisfactory  de- 
cisions? Too  many  citizens,  however,  do  not  even 
take  the  trouble  to  vote.  In  1912  more  than  140,000 
votes  were  cast,  but  in  1915  there  were  only  103,000, 
or  three  fourths  of  the  number  of  registered  voters. 

Equal  Suffrage.  Municipal  government,  in  its 
finer  sense,  is  community  house-  and  home-keeping. 
We  are  all  members  of  a  large  family  dwelling  in  close 
proximity.  We  cooperate  with  each  other,  perhaps 
exchanging  our  services  and  labor.  So  much  of  the 
work  formerly  done  in  the  home  has  passed  to  the 
factory  and  workshop  that  the  services  and  duties  of 
women  have  greatly  changed;  but  they  are  as  keenly 
interested  as  ever  in  clean  bread,  although  it  is  made 
in  a  bakery ;  in  garbage  disposal,  although  the  garbage 
is  not  disposed  of  directly  at  home;  and  in  screened 
food,  no  matter  where  it  may  be.  In  other  words, 
women  have  lost  control  of  the  care  and  disposition  of 
much  household  service,  and  they  and  their  families 
are  being  victimized.  They  can  regain  such  control 
only  by  being  granted  a  right  to  vote.  Arguments  are 
presented  on  both  sides,  but  a  conclusive  discussion  of 
this  problem  is  imminent,  and  many  women  may  well 
feel  that  they  are  suffering  from  serious  discrimination, 
when  our  laws  are  so  lenient  to  males,  and  draw  lines 
of  discrimination  on  a  sex  basis.  Equal  suffrage  is  a 
moral  issue,  and  does  not  depend  for  justification  on 
expediency,  economic  necessity,  or  intellectual  capacity. 

Demands  of  Social  Welfare.  We  burn  the  can- 
dle at  both  ends  by  appropriating  money  for  unneces- 
sary purposes,  employing  inefficient  labor,  and  neglect- 
ing to  make  improvements  that  yield  permanent  re- 


GOVERNMENT  261 

suits.  People  object  to  improvements  because  they 
cost  money.  We  know  that  playgrounds  promote 
health  and  morality,  but  we  refuse  to  equip  a  sufficient 
number  even  though  we  realize  that  eventually  poverty 
and  crime  will  be  reduced.  We  want  laws,  but  pro- 
vide no  machinery  for  enforcement,  because  that 
costs  money.  Our  tenement  house  law  has  no  ade- 
quate enforcing  body.  No  one  is  specially  deputized 
to  insure  clean  milk  for  the  city.  Children  under  ten 
may  not  sell  newspapers,  but  the  law  provides  no 
method  of  enforcement.  We  have  a  totally  insufficient 
number  of  factory  inspectors,  and  women  work  longer 
than  the  law  allows.  We  do  not  have  officials  to 
investigate  cases  of  desertion,  non-support,  and  va- 
grancy, but  these  offenses  cause  much  suffering  to  the 
victims  and  cost  the  people  large  sums  of  money. 
In  a  similar  way  many  civic  improvements  have  not 
been  made.  St.  Louis  suffers  from  a  miserable  system 
of  street  lighting — a  disgrace  to  a  city  of  its  size. 
Unsightly  beggars  are  permitted  on  the  streets.  Speed- 
ing autos  kill  and  wound  many  people  annually.  The 
heating  and  ventilation  of  street-cars  should  be  im- 
proved. The  problem  of  smoke  abatement  has  not 
been  solved.  Unsavory  smells  pervade  the  city  and 
reduce  the  charm  of  living.  Our  garbage  is  not  care- 
fully collected  in  certain  sections;  ashes  and  rubbish 
are  not  collected  at  all  by  the  city,  but  private  in- 
dividuals dispose  of  them  as  they  please. 

A  city  becomes  great  because  of  the  character  and 
quality  of  its  citizens.  Its  churches,  schools,  saloons, 
slum  areas,  and  civic  spirit,  rather  than  its  taxable 
property  and  millionaires,  determine  its  desirability 
as  a  place  of  residence.  Every  city  needs  a  whole- 


262  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

some  optimism  as  well  as  a  conservative  discontent. 
To  be  clamoring  for  a  million  people,  and  to  con- 
tinue killing  thousands  with  unnecessary  tuberculosis, 
children's  diseases,  and  accidents  is  contradictory  and 
prevents  emphasis  on  wholesome  living.  To  invite 
industries  to  our  city  and  oppress  the  workingmen 
spells  labor  troubles  and  unhealthful  discontent.  To 
make  the  city  grow,  it  must  be  made  a  pleasant,  whole- 
some, moral,  and  profitable  place  in  which  to  live.  The 
foundations  must  be  laid  on  which  a  permanent  build- 
ing can  be  erected.  Real  loyalty  to  St.  Louis  implies, 
first  of  all,  loyalty  and  undivided  support  for  a  pro- 
gram which  will  realize  a  better  and  happier  city. 
Then  the  ends  sought  can  more  easily  be  gained.  An 
unnatural,  hothouse  growth  is  unfortunate  and  only 
adds  to  the  misery  and  wo  of  disaffected  members 
of  our  citizenry. 

IV.    The  Improvement  of  Civic  Life 

What  is  being  done  to  promote  good  government  in 
St.  Louis  and  to  interest  men  in  this  subject  ?  Several 
years  ago  a  League  of  Good  Citizenship  was  formed, 
but  it  promptly  died.  The  interest  was  not  sufficient  to 
carry  it  on.  Good  government  works  in  a  circle ;  it 
makes  good  citizens,  and  the  latter  in  turn  make  good 
government.  If  the  Christ-life  stands  for  perfect 
morals  and  bodily  health  and  vigor  as  necessary  ac- 
companiments of  spiritual  ideals  for  a  better  order  of 
things,  should  not  we,  in  imitating  that  ideal,  strive 
to  realize  at  least  part  of  the  result?  To  do  this  we 
must  demand  the  enactment  and  enforcement  of  such 
legislation  as  is  needed  to  inspire  and  uplift  our  people. 
Laws  actually  in  force  are  a  part  of  our  spiritual  en- 


GOVERNMENT  263 

vironment  and  soon  leave  their  definite  impress  on  us. 
If  they  are  wholesome  and  we  are  mentally  normal, 
we  will  be  elevated  by  the  interaction.  Unselfish  men 
must  see  the  possibilities  that  government  affords  for 
human  betterment  and  aim  to  raise  its  standards. 

Various  agencies  have  arisen  to  afford  our  citizens 
an  opportunity  to  perform  real  Christian  service.  The 
evangelized  citizen  must  Christianize  his  environment 
— he  must  capture  government  for  God.  The  Anti- 
Saloon  League,  a  federated  movement  founded  by 
the  churches,  furnishes  an  opportunity  for  service. 
The  Church  Federation,  through  its  Committee  on 
Social  Service,  champions  the  cause  of  better  gov- 
ernment. The  Catholic  laymen  have  several  organi- 
zations through  which  they  can  express  their  interest 
in  our  public  welfare.  Many  secular  organizations 
aim  to  accomplish  benevolent  objects  and  are  Christian 
in  their  ideals  of  service. 

The  Municipal  Voters'  League  was  founded  in 
1908,  and  has  since  made  investigations  of  all  candi- 
dates for  municipal  office.  The  records  of  the  candi- 
dates have  been  ascertained  and  public  recommenda- 
tions have  been  made  accordingly,  thus  giving  the 
voter  an  opportunity  to  discriminate  wisely.  In  this 
work  the  League  has  enjoyed  considerable  newspaper 
support. 

The  Civic  League  has  for  years  striven  to  improve 
the  physical  conditions  of  the  city,  and  has  also  given 
our  citizens  extensive  opportunities  to  shape  our  moral 
and  social  growth.  Its  program  has  covered  the  most 
important  current  civic  needs,  but  the  fulfilment  of 
that  program  awaits  the  support  of  interested  and 
enlightened  men  and  women.  The  Social  Service  Con- 


264  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

ference  aims  to  improve  the  philanthropic  functions 
of  our  city  government  and  to  secure  needed  legisla- 
tion. The  social  education  of  the  public  is  also  one 
of  its  objects.  The  civic  improvement  associations, 
school  patrons'  organizations,  clubs,  and  specialized 
trade  or  professional  societies  can  all  be  utilized  for 
good.  The  various  ward  and  district  improvement 
associations  usually  interest  themselves  in  matters  re- 
lating to  their  particular  sections  and  confine  that  in- 
terest to  questions  involving  property  values  or  physi- 
cal conditions.  The  business  men's  organizations 
established  to  promote  industry  have  heretofore  ac- 
complished but  little  to  promote  social  betterment — 
a  fact  which  is  most  regrettable  and  does  them  little 
credit.  Why  should  they  not  divert  some  of  their 
energy  to  improving  the  social  and  moral  conditions  of 
the  city?  The  civic  organizations  are  federated  in  a 
central  body  and  are  therefore  capable  of  exerting 
considerable  pressure  on  the  Board  of  Aldermen  and 
the  administration.  An  institution  such  as  the  City 
Club  is  a  decidedly  wholesome  influence.  It  commits 
itself  neither  to  men  nor  measures;  but  it  permits  and 
promotes  discussion,  and  this  is  half  the  battle.  The 
labor  unions  are  numerically  a  very  important  factor 
and  can,  because  of  their  influence,  accomplish  wonder- 
ful results.  Some  of  the  church  organizations  have 
also  directly  interested  themselves  in  good  govern- 
ment and  have  striven  to  educate  their  members  so  as 
to  enable  the  men  to  vote  intelligently. 

On  the  whole,  the  nature  of  the  problem  is  clear. 
Vitalized,  effective  Christian  citizenship  cannot  stand 
still  and  allow  the  lobbies  and  lobbyists  at  the  council 
chambers  of  the  city  to  consist  of  the  unchristian  ele- 


GOVERNMENT  265 

ments  of  the  population.  Religion  is  meaningless  if 
such  conditions  exist  and  if  unwholesome  contacts  are 
permitted  to  ruin  the  spiritual  life  of  a  community. 
Unless  Christian  men  possess  the  stamina  to  stand 
publicly  for  better  conditions  at  all  times  and  to 
support  moral  legislation  when  legislative  crises  ap- 
pear, their  so-called  Christianity  is  a  sham.  In  the 
realm  of  government  their  work  can  probably  be  best 
accomplished  through  existing  secular  organizations 
with  noble  motives.  Every  Christian  should  belong 
to  an  agency  that  aims  to  promote  the  cause  of  good 
government  in  some  form.  No  one  man  can  be  in- 
terested in  every  phase  of  work.  Therefore  the  vari- 
ous associations  should  each  find  a  sufficient  number  of 
supporters  to  make  our  municipal  administration 
thoroughly  amenable  to  Christian  citizenship ;  to  insure 
the  enactment  of  laws  Decause  of  the  public  service  that 
they  will  render^  and  to  increase  the  area  of  interest 
in  the  beneficent  power  of  that  organization,  which, 
after  all,  is  the  people  acting  in  a  corporate  capacity. 


V.    Summary 

What  can  we  do?  The  foregoing  chapter,  it  is 
hoped,  has  pointed  out  some  needs. 

We  must  stand  for  the  ideal  of  democracy  and  work 
consistently  toward  that  end. 

We  must  center  responsibility  on  a  few  persons, 
and  then  hold  them  strictly  accountable  for  their  acts. 

We  must  simplify  the  machinery  of  government 
so  as  to  make  it  amenable  to  popular  will. 

We  must  consider  government  a  means  and  not 
an  end. 


266  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

We  must  appreciate  the  fact  that  local  conditions 
are  partly  dependent  on  state  administration. 

We  must  focus  attention  on  the  reluctant  branches 
of  our  local  government,  so  as  to  secure  better  en- 
forcement of  law. 

We  must  prevent  the  privileged  classes  from  plun- 
dering the  weak  and  powerless. 

We  must  insist  on  being  provided  with  more  knowl- 
edge about  conditions  and  also  about  the  actual  ac- 
complishments of  the  various  public  departments  and 
agencies. 

We  must  make  government  a  force  that  extends 
opportunity  to  the  helpless  and  tempers  justice  with 
mercy. 

We  must  remove,  as  far  as  possible,  the  incentives 
to  dishonesty. 

We  must  make  our  governmental  machinery  and 
agencies  capable  of  caring  properly  for  the  dependent, 
criminal,  and  defective  classes. 

We  must  struggle  for  a  clean  city,  a  moral  city,  an 
intelligent  city,  a  city  worth  while,  and  one  whose 
corporate  efforts  result  absolutely  in  the  promotion  of 
genuine  opportunities  for  the  development  of  indi- 
vidual character  and  virtue. 

What  citizen  who  professes  to  do  his  duty  can  fail 
to  participate  in  the  duty  of  promoting  good  govern- 
ment? To  avoid  this  responsibility  because  the  so- 
called  "  mire  of  politics "  soils  unstained  hands  is 
merely  the  plea  of  a  spineless  citizen  and  is  not  becom- 
ing to  virile  men  and  women  who  recognize  the  true 
functions  of  government.  The  state  is  not  outside  of 
us.  We  are  the  state. 


X. 

ACCEPTING  THE  CHALLENGE 

The  social  and  moral  conditions  of  St.  Louis  must 
rest  so  heavily  on  the  consciousness  of  the  religious 
forces  of  this  city  that  a  definite  program  of  individual 
and  collective  effort  can  no  longer  be  delayed.  Such 
effort  involves  the  genuine  expression  of  a  fraternity 
which  manifests  itself  in  a  Christlike  life,  in  character, 
and  in  service.  Not  mere  soul  buoyancy,  but  deeds 
that  transform  men  and  society  are  needed.  Every 
church-member,  every  church,  every  church  organiza- 
tion should  recognize  the  dual  aspect  of  the  influences 
on  every  human  soul ;  first,  the  inspiration  that  draws 
the  soul  to  God;  second,  the  temptations  for  weal  or 
wo  that  the  contacts  of  daily  life  afford.  The  way- 
farer in  the  mission  may  rise  for  prayer,  or  even  kneel 
at  the  altar,  but  unless  the  change  of  heart  is  followed 
by  an  opportunity  for  a  decent  job,  for  a  decent  lodg- 
ing place,  for  a  companionship  that  uplifts,  for  recrea- 
tion that  is  wholesome,  and  for  temperate  living,  the 
results  will  be  discouraging.  Experience  proves  that 
few  are  permanently  reclaimed  who  are  not  made 
steadfast  by  intelligently  applied  Christian  service  that 
fearlessly  touches  the  daily  life  and  environment  of 
the  sin-tired  soul. 

A  program  of  service  may  follow  several  lines  of 
action:  first,  the  individual  with  a  faith  that  speaks 
in  terms  of  constructive  Christianity  goes  about  doing 
267 


268  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

good.  Opportunities  are  legion.  Unorganized  service 
to  our  fellow-men  will  always  demand  a  large  share  of 
Christian  energy.  Every  individual  should  also  be 
connected  with  one  or  more  welfare  agencies,  and  as 
a  volunteer  should  give  some  of  his  life  and  spirit  for 
the  benefit  of  the  hungry,  the  sick,  the  wearied,  the  dis- 
consolate, whether  rich  or  poor,  and  the  strangers. 
Many  workers,  as  directors  of  philanthropic  organiza- 
tions, should  endeavor  to  make  the  Christian  spirit 
express  itself  definitely  through  those  agencies  to  the 
community. 

The  most  significant  form  of  personal  service  can 
be  written  in  the  daily  lives  of  men  and  women  as  they 
touch  others  in  their  vocations  as  employee  or  em- 
ployer, in  their  relationships  as  parent  and  child,  or 
in  their  associations  as  neighbor  and  friend.  To  look 
beyond  the  business  and  mechanical  to  the  human  and 
spiritual  side  of  industry  is  to  make  service  the  rule  of 
life  rather  than  an  avocation  pursued  once  or  twice 
a  week.  Real  human  sympathy  for  one's  employees 
and  colaborers  and  an  appreciation  of  the  problems 
which  they  must  face  soften  the  asperities  of  busi- 
ness, and  promote  the  cooperation  and  fraternity  so 
necessary  for  spiritual  realities.  To  be  a  dutiful 
Christian  parent  or  child  and  to  be  a  real  neighbor  to 
one's  neighbor  is  to  work  for  God  in  the  truest  sense. 
Daily  lives  that  silently  achieve  fraternity  are  a  bene- 
diction to  every  being  touched.  It  must  not  be  for- 
gotten that  we  as  persons  are  a  large  part  of  the  en- 
vironment of  our  associates. 

In  the  second  place,  organized  groups  of  men  and 
women  in  the  churches  must  use  their  machinery  for 
the  moral  and  spiritual  upbuilding  of  the  community. 


ACCEPTING  THE  CHALLENGE  269 

Each  organization  must  accept  some  task  and  faith- 
fully assist  in  at  least  one  respect  in  making  better  and 
happier  living.  Here  the  greatest  variety  of  activity 
is  possible,  from  providing  flowers  for  a  sick  person 
to  active  propaganda  for  some  important  political  or 
moral  reform.  Among  these  organizations  are  the 
Sunday-school  classes,  Bible  classes,  men's  brother- 
hoods, young  people's  societies,  and  women's  organiza- 
tions. Nothing  will  strengthen  the  spirit  of  unselfish- 
ness and  of  service  so  much  as  personal  contact  with 
the  recipients  of  love  and  service.  Givers  receive  as 
much  as  they  have  given  and  all  are  enriched  thereby. 
Again,  there  are  forms  of  work  which  the  religious 
forces  must  contribute,  but  which  require  financial 
support  and  trained  direction  in  addition  to  personal 
effort.  A  single  organization  may  not  be  able  to  deal 
effectively  with  some  important  problem ;  therefore,  a 
group  of  societies  such  as  the  men's  brotherhoods  or 
women's  missionary  societies  of  the  various  churches 
might  unite  to  foster  some  helpful  service — the  Big 
Brother  or  Big  Sister  movement,  or  other  equally  im- 
portant causes.  By  definitely  engaging  some  paid 
secretary  or  directing  official,  a  group  of  societies  not 
only  insure  effective  results,  but  gain  an  opportunity 
for  volunteer  work  along  some  special  line,  and  in 
addition  come  to  appreciate  the  public  or  social  aspects 
of  the  problem.  Church  groups  that  support  the  Big 
Sister  movement  must  inevitably  learn  the  social  and 
individual  causes  of  immorality  and  vice.  Ever  after- 
wards they  will  have  a  vigorous  and  effective  interest 
in  promoting  general  morality  and  in  improving  the 
conditions  that  degrade  unfortunate  girls  and  women. 
In  an  organized  capacity  groups  of  men  and  women 


270  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

can  promote  political,  social,  moral,  and  industrial 
reform  with  the  constant  aim  of  bettering  the  oppor- 
tunities of  all  for  a  virtuous  life  and  for  the  develop- 
ment of  character  and  conduct. 

Again,  the  church  through  the  pulpit  can  sound  the 
call  for  righteous  living  and  summon  its  hosts  for  an 
onslaught  against  the  mammon  of  unrighteousness. 
The  unfriendly,  the  lukewarm,  and  the  spiritually  filled 
must  all  alike  sense  the  need  of  social  salvation,  of 
Christianizing  the  environment,  of  making  every 
form  of  contact — physical,  mental,  and  spiritual — en- 
nobling and  directed  toward  the  kingdom  of  God. 

One  of  the  most  valuable  methods  of  promoting 
Christian  service  is  through  such  cooperation  among 
the  churches  as  is  indicated  by  the  Church  Federation. 
This  organization  serves  as  the  logical  instrument  for 
carrying  out  under  its  general  supervision  many  of  the 
most  significant  forms  of  service.  Although  it  needs 
paid  officials  to  direct  the  work,  it  offers  the  greatest 
opportunity  for  volunteer  effort  as  well. 

The  resources  of  religion  must  be  turned  to  good 
account.  Every  force  that  is  positive  and  constructive 
in  character  and  that  makes  for  righteousness  must 
be  upheld,  even  as  in  days  of  old  the  hands  of  Moses 
were  held  up  so  that  victory  might  be  assured.  Good 
laws,  good  officials,  good  schools,  good  institutions  of 
all  kinds  must  be  supported.  All  conditions  that  are 
unwholesome  and  destructive  must  be  fought  and 
overcome,  such  as  unethical  and  demoralizing  indus- 
trial life,  prejudice,  injustice,  ignorance,  poverty,  suf- 
fering, disease,  disrupted  family  relations,  bad  housing 
conditions,  immorality,  intemperance,  crime,  ineffi- 
ciency, unwholesome  recreations,  inefficient  govern- 


ACCEPTING  THE  CHALLENGE  271 

ment,  incompetent  officials,  dishonesty,  shiftlessness, 
and  other  ills.  Not  until  these  ideals  are  realized  can 
we  hope  for  the  coming  of  the  Kingdom.  When  these 
causes  of  sin  and  wo  are  removed,  then  the  soil  is 
prepared  for  the  full  fruitage  of  a  soul  inspired  by 
faith  in  God.  Then  can  the  spirit  hold  the  divine  life 
that  it  has  received.  So  long  as  this  work  remains 
undone,  the  spiritual  growth  of  men  must  be  sadly 
blighted.  Nor  will  this  happy  day  arrive  so  long  as 
we  content  ourselves  with  restoring  the  fallen  to  char- 
acter and  virtue.  Our  best  work  is  that  which  strikes 
at  the  root  of  sin  and  wickedness  and  as  far  as  is 
humanly  possible  removes  their  causes,  both  individual 
and  social.  The  opportunity  is  at  hand ;  "  Look  on 
the  fields;  for  they  are  white  already  to  harvest." 
Christianity  vitalized  and  socialized  can  regenerate  the 
world. 


THE    CHALLENGE 

OF   THE  CITIES 

SERIES 


A  new  series  of  popular  text-books  on  the  religious, 
social,  economic,  and  political  problems  of  the  great 
American  cities,  from  the  Christian  point  of  view. 
The  distinctly  local  problems  of  the  cities  are  thus 
treated  in  a  way  that  was  impossible  in  Dr.  Josiah 
Strong's  The  Challenge  of  the  City,  the  pioneer  book  in 
its  field. 

PUBLISHED 

The  Challenge  of  St.  Louis,  George  B.  Mangold,  ready  June  15,  1917 
The  Challenge  of  Pittsburgh,  Daniel  L.  Marsh,  ready  July  1,  1917 

FORTHCOMING 

Negotiations  are  now  in  progress  for  the  following 
additional  units  in  the  Challenge  of  the  Cities  Series : 
Cleveland,  Cincinnati,  Chicago,  Boston,  Baltimore, 
San  Francisco. 

Price :  cloth,  60c ;  paper,  40c  ;  prepaid 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION  MOVEMENT 
OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA 
156  FIFTH  AVENUE  NEW  YORK 


OTHER  NUMBERS  WILL  FOLLOW 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


A    000028757    3 


II  I! 


